How To Teach Your Dog to Bark on Command

In one of my previous articles we spoke about how teaching your dog to bark on command was all that you needed to ward off any wayward humans looking for trouble.

I am a firm believer that a good bark is all that you need to make your dog appear scary to onlookers.

This is not to be taken lightly and by no means am I encouraging you to have your dog bark AT people! Instead you will just be teaching your dog to bark on voice command and then with a tiny inconspicuous hand signal.

Your dog should never equate people and aggressive behavior!

If you teach your dog to be protective in general you can end up with some very serious behavior problems and a dangerous dog.

But, if you teach your dog to simply bark when asked it can keep attackers at bay.

What You Need:

• A long line or a tie out
• Something like a tree to attach the tie out to
• A toy
• A Pole and some String
• Your Dog

Getting Started:

Never ever leave Your Dog Tethered while Unattended.

Frustration often leads to barking, so we are going to use some frustration to teach your dog or your puppy to bark on command.

Take a long line or a tie down and attaching it to something secure, like a tree or a fence post. You will NEVER leave your dog tied out unattended!!

Attach your dog by his wide buckle collar (never use a choke chain, prong collar or head halter) or (better) a harness to the tie down.

Tie his toy to a short pole (PVC pipe, broom stick, etc.) with the string.

Now dangle the toy in front of your dog, whipping it back and forth just out of reach of your dog.

This should be frustrating and at some point your dog is very likely to bark at the toy.

As soon as your dog barks, reward him by allowing him dog to grab and play with the toy for a moment or two.

Then ask him to “Drop It”.

This Dog nearly does a Back Flip for this Ball on a string!

Continue playing this game until your dog is regularly barking.

Now you can add the command “Bark” and if he does so, reward him by playing!

Once he has learned to bark on command you can begin teaching him a small hand signal.

As you say the command show him the hand signal. I bump my thumb against my other fingers, like a dog barking when I say the command.

Later I can drop the verbal command and just touch my fingers together. My dog should have learned to bark like wild-fire until I tell him “quiet”.

This behavior alone helps make me feel secure, and my dog is learning to use his voice on my terms and not directed at any one person. My dog thinks he is barking to play or later for a treat so no aggression is tagged to the behavior!

This can be great fun, and can lead to keeping your loud dog “quiet” as you learn to tell him when it is and when it is not appropriate to bark.