Hello all, I have a ten month old puppy and I am still having trouble getting him to bark. We have developed a good relationship and everything I do with him is motivational and using marker training. I have only heard him bark three times in three weeks of owning him. He has good ball and food drive, but nothing I do will get him to bark. I have never had problems teaching the bark to prepare for the “bark and hold” before . Any help on getting him to bark would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance

Pet dogs can be talked to speak on command easily. When you've been out for a while, call your partner from your cell and ask them to tie your dog. When you arrive home tease your dog a bit at first, coming close to them, but not making contact with them. then start moving excitedly from side to side, laterally don't not be pushing them into defense, making them back up, try to keep them at the end of the leash. When they bark, tell them "Good Speak" and set them free.

After a couple of days of this, when you grab their leash, to take them for a walk, ask them to speak before you open the door. If they don't, put the leash down and go back and sit on the couch, try again in about three minutes. Should have "speak" on command in no time. Some dogs need to be taught to speak on demand and then be taught where to use it. Like when someone comes to the front door, “Speak” and “Good Speak”!

Personal protection could be started as above, serious protection best started in group agitation session find a local club. Don't try to advance the bite work except in play until that bark becomes extremely serious and he's toeing the line.

Thank you for your help, I will try this approach.

We had a thread about this topic just within the last month with several different ideas.
Try using the "search" function", it will save you time.

To get my dog to speak, he never ever barked, I backed tied him and used a long horse whip with a string on the end (I use it for drive building, a sort of flirt pole) Then I would move the whip around just out of reach untill is frantic whining turned into a yap, for which he got a treat. I did this for several sessions gradually progressing him to better deeper barks, then I changed the reward to a bite on the sleeve. After this I progressed to throwing his toy, and not allowing him to get it untill he barked. This is not an extremly aggressive bark, its completly motivational and he does not associate it with serious conflict, but he will jump and "look mean" and he will always direct it at who or where i want him to.

As for the command, Each time before I would move the whip, I would give the command, and as he got better I would gradually move the whip less and giving him a good "braaf" with a treat untill he did it on command with no whip stimulation. As mentioned in the earlier thread, the more energy the dog has, the easier it will be to get it excited to the point of barking, I wouldn't train it in the begining while it is tired as it seems it is much more difficult to get a tired dog to bark initially.