Sometimes the barking can sound annoying and troublesome. In fact, one of the most common behavior problems in dogs is excessive barking. But for a dog to be able to bark is not considered all bad, especially if he learns to do so in response to a command.
Looking for a method to get your dog to bark on command, without confusing or encouraging inappropriate barking? You’ll be happy to know that this is a relatively easy trick to teach.
Trainers and owners suggest different techniques to achieve this, but here we explain two simple, fast methods that work for the vast majority of dogs.
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How to teach your dog to bark on command?
Experts explain that when we want a dog to do something instantly, like bark, the important thing is to get it to do it one way or another. However, in this specific case, you must be very assertive, because the idea is to teach a trick, not a bad habit.
Method 1. Make your dog bark on command in 7 steps
Step 1. Choose a reward
Before you start training, make sure you have some dog treats. Choose something that your pet really likes; keep in mind that the better the reward, the easier it will be to teach.
Some of the best treats are:
- Cooked chicken
- Beef or liver rolls
- Cookies
- Carrot pieces or frozen green beans
Instead of using just one type, you can use a variety. This way you prevent the pet from getting bored.
See later:
Can Dogs Eat Carrots? Benefits and Contraindications
What Vegetables Can Dogs Eat? Which ones are prohibited?
Your dog may love to play and you want to teach him to bark using his favorite toy, but most owners find treats to be the most effective reward for teaching dogs.
Additionally, the use of a clicker is recommended, so that you can let him know when he has done something right. Being a consistent sound, unique, and different from your voice, the clicker is considered very useful. If you don’t have it, then you can use the words “fine” or “yes” as a signal.
Advice for owners unfamiliar with the clicker. Take a treat in your hand. If the dog tries to catch her, he closes his hand. Now click and offer the reward. Repeat the same thing a few minutes later…and so on.
Continue the same procedure until your dog immediately comes upon the clicker sound and expects a treat.
Step 2. Get your dog excited
A dog is more likely to bark if he is excited. You can play something that excites him, for example throwing a ball for him to look for.
Step 3. Get the reward
Now that your dog is excited and ready to bark, grab a treat in your hand. It is important that he sees it, but he hides it behind your back.
Step 4. Reward the bark
His level of energy and excitement, coupled with the treat you’re holding behind his back, will almost certainly result in a bark. If not, try showing him the treat again, or you can even leave it in plain view, but don’t let him take it.
Be patient. You may have to wait 5 minutes or more. Once your dog barks, quickly click ( or say “yes” ) and reward him with the treat.
Remember: you should only reward barking when you ask your dog to bark.
Council. If the dog isn’t barking, you can try to reproduce your own barking to encourage it.
Step 5. Name the behavior
This is a key step in getting a dog to bark on command. Once your dog knows that barking helps him get treats, it’s time to name the behavior. To do this, you must say an order or command, such as “ bark ”, “ talk ” or “ speak ”, just before he barks.
You can also add a hand signal, as dogs are known to learn visual cues faster than words. It is important to practice saying the chosen command several times just before your dog barks.
Be sure to keep the same tone and volume of voice each time you say the command. This helps the pet associate the tone with the command, and therefore learn to bark faster.
Step 6. Try the command alone
Once the dog begins to associate the word “bark” with barking, give the command and wait for him to bark. You must say the command only once. When your dog barks, offer him a treat. He continues to do the same thing for 10-15 minutes a day until he masters the command.
Attempts to capture and mark a single bark; you don’t want the dog to think your command means “start a barking frenzy.”
Avoid practicing too much. Your dog will learn better if training is fun for him. Stop teaching him as soon as you notice that he is losing interest.
Step 7. Remove rewards
Giving rewards is a great way to teach your dog tricks and behaviors, but once he’s learned them, treats can start to distract him and sabotage response time. That is why the next step in this method is the removal of bounties.
How is it done? Very easy. Gradually start to increase the number of correct answers it takes to give him his gift. For example, offer the treat only every other bark. Then switch to a treat every 3 barks…and so on.
When you feel that the dog already knows how to bark on command, check how many times he can do it without receiving a treat. Work up to getting him to bark 10 or 20 times. It is also recommended to increase the waiting time before rewarding.
The idea is to gradually break the link between completing the command and giving him the food.
At this point, you will now need to replace the treats with other rewards. When your dog can bark on command 10 times or more without receiving a treat, he starts working on short training sessions without food.
After several successful responses, praise the pet, pet it, and play with it. The goal is to start replacing treats with other types of rewards. It is advisable to continue giving occasional and unpredictable threats to sharpen the behavior.
Method 2. Teach him to be quiet before barking on command
Many say that it is best to start by teaching the dog not to bark, and then train it to bark at the command of its owner. This is especially true of dog breeds with a tendency toward excessive barking.
Step 1. Choose a simple word as a command
The first thing is to choose a word that will serve as a silence order. This command should be easy to remember and to use consistently. Some options can be “quiet”, “hush”, “quiet”.
Step 2. Create an exciting situation
Do something for the barking dog. It is said that the best method is for someone to ring the bell or the door, but each dog is a world. Try to create a situation where you know your pet is more likely to bark.
When he barks, briefly acknowledge his behavior by looking for the cause (looks out the window or door). Then, go over to the dog and get his attention by holding up a treat or toy. Once the barking stops, give him the treat.
Repeat the same thing several times, making sure to wait for longer and longer periods of silence before giving the treat.
Step 3. Enter the silence command
When your dog has been silent several times, it is time to enter the keyword you have chosen. Holding the reward, say the command in a loud, clear, firm tone as the dog barks. As soon as the barking stops, give him his treat.
Repeat the same procedure for 10 minutes a day.
Step 4. Make him bark whenever you want
After the dog consistently responds to your silence command, proceed to introduce the bark command following the steps in the previous method (make bark -> reward bark -> introduce and entrench command).
Once he has learned the bark and no-bark commands separately, you can use them together. Make your dog bark several times and then command him not to bark.
6 useful tips to make a dog bark for inexperienced owners
- Be patient, but constant. Some dogs can take weeks to learn to bark on command.
- Consider that teaching to bark when the owner wants to only work on dogs that normally bark. Puppies and certain breeds with little or no vocality, such as the basenji, are not the most appropriate “students”.
- Make sure the chosen command doesn’t sound too similar to the dog’s name or another keyword within its training.
- Remember that you can make up your own short word to give the command.
- Rely on the use of the clicker and visual signals to facilitate and speed up the dog’s learning.
- Practice the new skill in different places. Make your dog bark on command in settings outside the home and in different situations, for example in the park or in the car.
Keep your neighbors in mind when teaching this trick. If you live in an apartment or in close proximity to other people, your dog’s barking can be annoying. Practice in short sessions.
