I am currently in training with a 2 and a half year old GSD. His bite work is coming along great, and he will bark when agitated, but only if he has the decoy in sight. When practicing box searches, he barks at the decoy until the decoy hides in the box and then nothing. On open field searches he runs into the field or woods and engages but will only bark if he sees the decoy. Any suggestions on bringing out his bark?
You can get him to bark for a toy. Just keep saying the word you want to use like watch it or geeblout or what ever this will bring a bark but it will be very high pitched and not defensive. In my expirence though this rolled over into protection work. This is how I converted my recall dog into a bark and hold dog. Also maybe having a decoy behind a door making noises to stimulate the dog then open the door after he barks and give him a bite. Then start having him bark more for the bite he will get the idea sooner or later. But dont have him barking for 30 min. this would be very boring to him. This will also be a more aggressive bark. He will also start associating the smell of the person behind something too bark. But always reniforce the word you want to use while your pumping him up. Hope this helps just a few ideas.
Give the decoy a small switch and let him hide with the sleeve just inside a door that is cracked open a little. (He can exhale/blow to make lots of scent. Noise can also work, but try to minimize it or you could end up with a dog that trys to listen instead of using his nose)
Take the dog up on leash. When he has obviously alerted without barking, have the decoy switch him on the nose...not too much, just enough to piss him off...when he makes a reasonable attempt to bark, give him the bite with much praise from you. Repeat twice the first night. Remember, first reward "approximate" behavior, then...not too fast...require more and more correct behavior to get the reward.
A dog that likes the bite will usually figure this one out quickly. Also, try at first to do this in a place he is familar with so you don't introduce too many new things at once. Try for "Self-discovery...self-reward".
You or your helper are teaching the dog to be reactive instead of being active in his drives. Barking when being agitated may be coming from defense instincts and not real aggression. When the threat is removed the behavior ( barking) stops. Barking can be created through prey drive but it takes a skillful helper who knows how to manipulate the dogs drives. At the same time the dog must learn to be active to get the helper to be reactive. The handler should not have to encourage or command the dog, otherwise you may find the dog starts looking to the handler for direction. Stroking the dog along the sides without verbal influence should reinforce the dogs barking and aggressive behavior.
Thanks for all the ideas, and I'll tell you I tried them all, and they worked. I put the handler behind the cracked door with a water bottle and squirted him. It really pissed him off. He began to whine and then it became a bark, though not a continuous bark. He scratched and bit at the door. We did it three times and stopped and I plan on doing it again tomorrow. I was worried about screwing it up and ending the session on a bad note. I yelled at my decoy to start being a little more active as well, he's a little on the non-excited side of decoying. I know that hurts but we're a small department and he's all I have. Thanks again.
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