Training a dog to bark

Dogs being man’s best friends have not only offered companionship but protection as well. Dogs that are purposely developed for protection work are trained to discriminate dangerous situations and to bark to alert the master. Barking is a natural behavior of dogs thus it may be thought that a training that will hone the dog’s instinct to bark is no longer necessary. Dogs already know how to bark but as the objective of the training is to make the dog learn when to bark and when not to bark, this task would not be so easy after all. In short, the dog has to learn discriminatory barking as the barking will serve as a warning to the owners of possible territorial intrusion.

The objective of the training is to enhance the discriminatory skill of the dog so that when it barks the master will know that something needs his attention. This is rather a hard task for dogs as these animals really do have the inclination to bark. The slightest movement and sound will already make a dog bark. These animals even bark at shadows created by leaves on the trees. Teaching the dog discriminatory barking is difficult but it can be done.

Many techniques all hyped to be effective can be used to train the dog but because of individual differences one dog may learn after two or four session and another dog may never learn at all. In any kind of training using positive reinforcement is proven to be effective. The training is aimed at restraining the dog’s natural barking behavior. Position the leashed dog near the gate where the pet will be enticed to bark at passersby.

Generally, dogs will bark at anyone that passes by so you will be given a chance to command the dog to stop barking. “Quiet” or “No bark” given in a firm authoritative voice will let the dog know that you, the alpha male means business. The dog will eventually understand that barking at the postman or at the passing cars will annoy the master.

Ask someone to open the gate or to ring the bell. Command the dog to bark as soon as the person approach the gate or the door. The command can be “bark” or “speak”. A treat given every time the dog barks will lure the pet to respond to training. Repeat the process several times but make sure to use the same commands to prevent the dog from being confused. Reward the dog every time it obeys your command. The positive reinforcement will be associated by the dog to obeying your command and will entice the dog to respond to the training.

Find out more about how to make a dog bark as well as dog first aid at Sarah’s Dogs.