How to get her to bark

[danyp1]

Well Sam is rather obdient. She knows a lot of commands. Some of them paw. kiss. digg. go pee. roll over are a few of the silly ones I have been doing with her.

She is about 5 month old now but I can not get her to bark.
I tried to bark myself, howl, have my kids play music. Short of standing by the gate and waiting for her to bark at anyone and then giving her a treat which is like never.. I have no way for her to bark and use the word bark at the same time. Even if I would be spending my morings at the gate with her I`m pretty sure that she would think that the treats are for her barking at the people not the actual bark command (please let me know if I`m wrong). (I do not want her to think that it is good to bark at people who are just walking outside. I actually want to discourage her unless they are messing with the gate.)
Any suggestions. I have no real reason why I want her to bark on command. Just like the other sillier commands gives her and me something new to do. Thanks

[Rott-Wiley]

Dogs tend to respond to signals better then they do to words. I've always taught all our dogs to bark by my saying "Go Woof!" and while I say that I make a motion with my hand like a dogs mouth opening and closing. Just the slightest hint of any responce from the dog gets a treat and lavished praise. Even if it's just a heavy sigh. I know you said that you tried to bark yourself but keep at it, I've never seen it to fail. Oh, and make sure she knows you have a treat. Even if you have to let her smell it but don't give it up unless you get something positive first. Good luck with her.

[danyp1]

Thanks I will try that tomorrow. :)

[Tank's Grandma]

Originally posted by Rott-Wiley
Just the slightest hint of any responce from the dog gets a treat and lavished praise. Even if it's just a heavy sigh. I know you said that you tried to bark yourself but keep at it, I've never seen it to fail. Oh, and make sure she knows you have a treat. Even if you have to let her smell it but don't give it up unless you get something positive first. Good luck with her.

Rott-Wiley....thanks for the suggestions. We've been trying to get Tank to bark on command (he barks when he hears noises, or the door, or he seems to think that we're in grave danger from helicopters flying overhead.... ).
My daughter for some reason wanted him to bark to "hard core" instead of "speak", any way, I've been using your suggestions, and especially since he's highly treat motivated....he gets the idea. He makes the noise, he gets the treat. Although right now, sometimes we get a bark, sometimes we get really funny talking noises....but all to the command.
Thanks! :D

[samanthac]

Well Rotties are not easy to teach the bark on command. But this is the tried and true way I taught Disel.

Take their VERY favorite toy or bone, but its got to be an item you know is of VERY high value to them. Call them to you. Go to hand the item to them. As they reach for it, snatch it away while saying whatever command you are using for bark. Do this repeatedly. At the very fist sign of a whine, woof any vocalization at all, praise them and reward! Next day do the same thing and the next until you have solid barks.

I learned this by watching Disel and Athena interact. Athena would steal his raw bone and walk away. He'd get really pissed off and just bark and bark and bark at her. So the next night I took his raw bone and withheld it while saying the Giblaut command. When he got frustrated he barked and I immediately gvae him the bone. He quickly correlated the command with the bark and the reward. I had Disel barking in 3 days. He is very solid on his bark on command now. I can do it with or without treats/toys or just on praise.

It sounds mean, but its working with the dogs natural drives in order to get him to do what you want.