No, your dog won't be reciting Shakespearean poetry anytime soon, but getting him to bark on orders is one of the easiest tricks to train. You can also practice the "quiet" command to control the barking more. Once your dog has mastered these commands, you can teach more complex expressions such as barking when you want to go outside to go to the bathroom or barking to let someone know at the door.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Teaching a Dog to bark on Command
Step 1. Choose the prize
Choose something that your dog really likes. The better the reward, the easier the dog will be to teach. If your dog likes to play, you can try using his favorite toy and playing with him when he barks. However, most people find treats more effective for teaching dogs. The best treats are ones that dogs love, and that are easy to carry, easy to share, and healthy. Use a variety of treats so your dog doesn't get bored. Try:
- Cheese sticks.
- Cooked chicken.
- Rolls (available at pet stores).
- Cut-up dog biscuits or store-bought workout treats.
- Carrots or chickpeas (for dogs on a diet).
Step 2. Consider training your dog using a clicker
In this exercise, you use a "click" sound to let your dog know when he is doing something right. Clickers are effective because they sound consistent, unique, and distinct from your own. However, you can also say “good” or “yes” as a gesture if you don't have a clicker.
Set the clicker beforehand. Take a snack in your hand. If the dog tries to pick it up, cover your hand. Press the clicker and offer the dog a treat. Repeat a few minutes later. Then try again. Keep doing this until your dog comes to you after hearing the clicker and wants a treat
Step 3. Get your dog excited
This will make him bark. Play something that excites him such as a game of throw and catch or tug of war.
Step 4. Take the gift
Once the dog is ready to bark, take the treat. Let the dog see it, then hide it behind your body.
Step 5. Reward barks
Hopefully your energy, your dog's zeal, and the treats behind your back will result in the barking. If not, you can show the treat again, or take it out but don't let your dog have it. He will be confused and will bark, but be prepared to wait. It will take you about 5 minutes or so. Be patient. When your dog barks, press the clicker or say "yes" and then reward him with a toy or treat.
If your dog is not barking, you can try barking to encourage him
Step 6. State the desired action
Once your dog knows that the barking will get a treat, mention the action. Try to say "talk" or "say" before the dog barks. You might also consider adding hand signals, as dogs learn visual cues more quickly than verbal ones. Practice a few times saying "talk" before he barks.
Make sure to keep your voice at the same pitch and volume every time you say "talk". The dog will associate the tone with the message you are referring to, which will make the learning process easier
Step 7. Try just saying the word
Once your dog begins to make connections between a word and a bark, say "talk" and wait for it to bark. Make sure to say the command only once. When the dog barks, offer a reward. Keep doing this for 10 minutes every day until your dog has mastered the command. Make sure your dog doesn't train for too long. He will learn better if the practice is done with fun. If the dog starts to lose interest, stop.
Step 8. Don't give gifts too often
Snacks are a great way to teach something, but once your dog learns it, constantly giving treats will only annoy your dog and slow down time to respond. Start cutting back on treats once your dog responds properly.
- Gradually add the right number of responses before giving the treat. Start by offering him a snack every two times he gets the command right. Then the third time. Once you feel your dog has mastered the ability to bark on command, find out how much of a response you get without giving him a treat. Keep doing it until it's 10 or 20 times.
- Also add the amount of time to wait for him to respond before giving him a gift. The idea is to gradually break the connection between taking orders and food.
- Replace food with other gifts. Once your dog can bark on command 10 or more times without a treat, start a short training session without food. After a few successful responses, praise your dog, pet him, and play with him. The goal is to start replacing treats with other gifts.
- It's fine to give him an occasional snack to increase his abilities.
Step 9. Practice in different places
Once your dog is able to bark on command in your quiet home, try doing this in the park or on a walk.
Method 2 of 4: Teaching the Dog to Be Quiet
Step 1. Teach your dog to “be quiet” after teaching him to “talk”
It's easier to teach the word "shut up" (or "enough" or "huh") if your dog is willing to bark on command. Sometimes this is important. Once your dog learns that barking on command will result in a treat, it can be difficult to get him to stop barking. The “talk” command will produce no more than 1-4 barks. After that, you should be able to tell your dog to stop.
Step 2. Have your dog talk
Wait for him to start barking.
Step 3. Say “shut up” and offer a snack
After the dog stops barking, give him a treat. Repeat this sequence and practice for ten minutes a day.
Step 4. Cut back on treats like you taught your dog to "talk"
Start by saying "shut up" without showing the treat, but still giving him a treat after the dog stops barking. Once your dog has mastered this, you can start adding the right amount of dog response before giving him a treat. However, give him an occasional treat to keep him interested.
Step 5. Practice in more difficult situations
Once your dog has mastered the "quiet" command in a quiet room, try the command in more noisy situations, such as in the park or when guests are at the door.
Method 3 of 4: Teaching a Dog to Bark when He Wants to Go Out
Step 1. Teach the dog to ask to be removed
Imagine if you really had to go to the toilet but you were in another country, couldn't find the bathroom, and couldn't speak the language of that country. Welcome to dog life. Teaching your dog to ask to leave the house by barking will help keep dirt out of the house and will make life easier for both of you.
Step 2. Make sure your dog is trained to go outside
Your dog should know that he has to pee or defecate outside before you teach him to beg.
Step 3. Stand outside with a snack in your hand and slightly open the door
Get the dog to "talk". When he does, open the door and give him a treat. After a few times, stop the “talk” command. Your dog will bark when he wants to get out. Open the door and give a snack.
Step 4. Stop giving treats
Once your dog knows how to bark to open the door, you'll need to teach him to go outside to pee, not treat. Do this exercise in the morning when your dog needs to pee. Stand outside and ask if the dog wants to come out. When he barks, open the door, praise him, and let the dog pee. Praise him again when he's done urinating. Do this every morning for two weeks.
Step 5. Go inside the house
With your hand on the door, ask the dog if he wants to come out and wait for it to bark. Reward with praise as before. Do it for two weeks.
Step 6. Stay away from the door
Sit in a room with the door closed, but act like you forgot to get your dog out. Wait for him to bark, then quickly open the door so he can come out and give him a compliment.
Step 7. Try getting your dog to bark in a different room
Lock your dog with you in a different room than the one with the door he usually uses to get out of the house. Be patient and wait for the dog to bark, then get him out immediately and praise him when he's out. After two weeks, the dog will bark to be let out.
Make sure you respond to his barking when you're not training him. Whenever your dog barks to get out of the house, he should be let out and praised
Method 4 of 4: Teaching the Dog to Announce the Arrival of Guests
Step 1. Make sure you want your dog to bark when someone walks out the door
Most dogs will be noisy when there are guests who come. If the dog doesn't bark, you can consider yourself lucky. On the other hand, you might want to teach him how to bark for safety reasons, or because you have a large house and can't hear someone knocking on the door.
Step 2. Stand at the door and knock
Give the command “talk” when you knock on the door. Reward the dog for barking.
Step 3. Don't use the “talk” command and knock on the door
After a few knocks on the door and telling him to talk, you should get the dog to bark at the only knocking sound. Reward the dog and praise him when he barks. Practice this for a few days to make sure your dog gets the hang of it.
You can do the same exercise with the doorbell. Ask a friend or family member to stand outside and ring the bell
Step 4. Ask a friend or family member to come to the door and knock
You may have to give the “talk” command a few times at first. After that, stop the command and let the dog respond to the knock on the door.
Again, you can do the same exercise with the doorbell
Step 5. Cut back on snacks gradually
As instructed earlier, start by getting your dog to perform the command correctly several times before giving the treat. Then, start a training session without snacks.
Tips
- Be careful not to give your dog too many treats. Reduce the portion of dog food on training days.
- Make sure your dog can bark. The Basenji breed doesn't bark at all.
Warning
- Don't overtrain your dog. If your dog looks tired or bored, stop the exercise and try again another time.
- Never punish a dog for not wanting to act. Use positive support to teach your dog tricks.
