# Bark and quiet on command



## _Paul (Jan 15, 2014)

Hi all. Our Teddy can be a bit of a barker and we have put up with it for some time now. Recently though I decided to give bark and quiet on command a go. I was sceptical about teaching him to bark, I really didn't want to make things worse. Anyway, I started training the command and pairing them together and he is responding quite well. The problem I have encountered though is he we bark now on some ocassions that he would not normally bark. He will go quiet on command when this happens, but I am concerned that he is learning to bark for the treat reward that comes after the quiet command. There doesn't seem to be a great deal of advice about this particular situation on the Web, so I wondered if anyone on the forum could help? Many thanks.


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## aesthetic (Apr 23, 2015)

You're only treating him for the times when you give the command, right? If so, he should learn really quickly that barking without being asked means he gets no treat. It's a completely different issue if barking itself is a reward for him


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## laprincessa (Mar 24, 2008)

I taught Max to do "little woof" and he does just that. It's actually cute.


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## _Paul (Jan 15, 2014)

Thanks for the replies.

I think I got myself a little confused. I started teaching 'bark' and then treated for it. I then taught 'quiet' treated for it. Now I pair the two by asking for a barking, letting him bark a few times and then telling him 'quiet'. When he responds correctly to this I treat him. I think this process it correct?

My issue is when he barks himself. I won't treat him for barking because I never asked him to 'bark'. But when he is barking if I then command him 'quiet', then I am unsure whether to treat him then or not. I think by treating him it encourages him to bark, so that I ask him for 'quiet' and he gets a treat. On the other hand, the reason for training 'bark' and 'quiet' is to control his troublesome barking, therefore isn't the point to be able to quieten him when he performing unwanted barking? So I am a little unsure how to deal with this situation. He has picked up 'bark' and 'quiet' really well, so I don't want to do anything to ruin the progress.


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## Dale (Dec 14, 2015)

laprincessa said:


> I taught Max to do "little woof" and he does just that. It's actually cute.


How did you teach him to do that? My 2 goldies (1.5 years and 8 months) are both barkers. Would love to teach them a little control.


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## laprincessa (Mar 24, 2008)

Dale said:


> How did you teach him to do that? My 2 goldies (1.5 years and 8 months) are both barkers. Would love to teach them a little control.


Lots of practice.
I do a sort of circle motion by my mouth to get him to bark
So one day I just made a little circle and he did a little woof and I guess I got lucky and caught the moment! So I make the circle small and go, "little woof!" and he does it. I'll try to get a video later.


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