# Trouble With Barking On Command



## booegg7 (Jan 4, 2018)

So I have a 1 year old Belgian Malinois, and I want to teach her to bark on command. I know I am supposed to frustrate them to get them to bark, and then reward them when they do. Obviously it gets a lot more in-depth then that, but I am just having trouble with that part. When I with-hold the treat from her, instead of barking in frustration, she just looks at me sadly, and lays down! I want to try to get her to bark with treats, as the other method (Tying her to something and waving a ball around until she barks), seems to impractical. I would like your advice on how to get her to bark, and any other methods I should try! Thanks!!!


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## GandalfTheShepherd (May 1, 2017)

With the speak command I've always had success using a clicker to mark that exact moment I'm looking for, it seems to help my dogs anyways make the connection quicker. I like to teach speak in an excited way, I'll bounce around get the dog amped up and make a gator sort of hand signal with one hand. Even the tinnest noise or attempt I'll reward at first and only then once the dog has the hang of it I'll ask for more. I've heard some people also catch it in the act and reward but that seems more difficult since you'll always have to be ready and I feel like that could lead to unwanted excess barking. I taught Gandalf this command, he is by no means a barker, won't even bark if someone rings the door bell but he will do the trick.


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## Breaker's mom (May 27, 2008)

I um, well taught my dog to speak on command, by um, well, barking


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## andywhite (Dec 18, 2017)

GandalfTheShepherd said:


> With the speak command I've always had success using a clicker to mark that exact moment I'm looking for, it seems to help my dogs anyways make the connection quicker. I like to teach speak in an excited way, I'll bounce around get the dog amped up and make a gator sort of hand signal with one hand. Even the tinnest noise or attempt I'll reward at first and only then once the dog has the hang of it I'll ask for more.* I've heard some people also catch it in the act and reward* but that seems more difficult since you'll always have to be ready and I feel like that could lead to unwanted excess barking. I taught Gandalf this command, he is by no means a barker, won't even bark if someone rings the door bell but he will do the trick.


Friend was over and she was barking on her. So I used this situation to teach her barking. (I said bark, she would look at her and bark, I would give treat......and again, again)

Problem with this method for me - now when I say BARK she will start running around the house and start looking for intruders. And unless she finds somebody she won't bark. :| So if you're able to start her going on her own and start barking, it's probably better method. If you reward when he's already barking, he might connect that with general "protection". Dunno.


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## JaxsMom (Dec 31, 2017)

Breaker's mom said:


> I um, well taught my dog to speak on command, by um, well, barking


HAHAHA Me too :grin2:

Though I have yet to get a real big boy bark out of him on the speak command. He does his yippy bark instead or sometimes just does the no noise air snappy thing lol.


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## tc68 (May 31, 2006)

My dog was quite vocal (not obnoxious) when he wanted something. So, every time he was barking, I would give him a hand single and a voice command, "bark". I rewarded him when he barked and I did the hand signal and voice command. When he barked and I didn't command it he didn't get a reward. Very simple concept. He would look at my hand expecting the reward but got nothing. Eventually he got the connection. He also put 2 and 2 together and figured out when I said, "no barking," he would stop. Some dogs are smart and can figure it out real quick...like mine. Others like my friend's dog....to this day, he has no clue and looks at me funny every time I give the hand signal (or he chooses to ignore me).


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