Can you make my dog bark?

1064 Views 3 Replies 4 Participants Last post by csk, May 24, 2009

hah2110

Discussion Starter · May 23, 2009

My 14 month Beagle/Boxer is random. She will bark at the vacuum and growl REALLY MEAN and when she gets super-excited (like when we start to play with her) she will throw a hound-like howl in there (even if a toy is in her mouth). She used to bark when people came to the door (which I liked) but she doesn't any more. She would even do it if there was a weird noise. The first time she did it was when the leasing office was sliding letters through the door and she dove off the couch, ran to the door and barked and growled in like a fight stance. I LOVE THAT! But she stopped doing it. I would like to #1 - get her to speak on command and #2 - get her to bark when someone comes to the door until I say it is okay. Every time she barks I promptly say "good girl, speak!!!!" Two times I have gotten her to speak on command but they were directly after she did it herself. I just can't get her to bark at anything else. Any advice?

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Wagging Tail Lover

· #2 · May 23, 2009

Now I would love a dog that didn't bark when people came to the door.

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KBLover

· #3 · May 24, 2009

hah2110 said:
My 14 month Beagle/Boxer is random. She will bark at the vacuum and growl REALLY MEAN and when she gets super-excited (like when we start to play with her) she will throw a hound-like howl in there (even if a toy is in her mouth). She used to bark when people came to the door (which I liked) but she doesn't any more. She would even do it if there was a weird noise. The first time she did it was when the leasing office was sliding letters through the door and she dove off the couch, ran to the door and barked and growled in like a fight stance. I LOVE THAT! But she stopped doing it. I would like to #1 - get her to speak on command and #2 - get her to bark when someone comes to the door until I say it is okay. Every time she barks I promptly say "good girl, speak!!!!" Two times I have gotten her to speak on command but they were directly after she did it herself. I just can't get her to bark at anything else. Any advice?

Be ready with something to reward her with.

When she barks (for any reason), click (or praise) and treat quickly. See if she'll bark again. If not, that's fine - just wait for the next bark. When she does - click/praise and treat again.

Once she's barking in hopes of getting a treat from you consistently, then put the "speak" command on it. Say "speak" just before she barks or even between barks.

That's how I got Wally to speak on command and he hardly barked at anything (and still doesn't). I just had to maximize the times when he DID bark or when I could induce a bark from him to train the command.

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csk

· #4 · May 24, 2009

I started teaching my pup to bark by teasing with toys. Before I was successful with that method I had NEVER heard her bark in the year she's been with us!

We have been teaching her to fetch with marked success. Now she's very eager when we hold a toy she knows we will throw. By teasing her with it we got her to bark and encouraged the behavior with praise. We had to get her VERY frustrated with teasing & rough play to bring her out of her shell. Now I can get her to speak on command with a treat!

It wasn't hard, but every dog & every environment is different. Just gotta find the right motivator!

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