Oh I forgot to mention, but getting the dog to bark out of frustration works a LOT better if you take them out to the park or a big field than if you try it in your backyard.

I took my guys to the local park where they gallop around like lunatics (and occasionally even play with another dog).

Because that park equates to excitement and unbridled insanity in their mind, they were at a much higher level of excitement than they would've been in the yard at home.
It also made them much more reactive to being tied out and having me take off on them and they were quick to protest with a bark

(Just be careful what you wish for... if the dog learns that barking his head off prevents you from leaving him tied out, it could annoy you in the future when you need to leave the dog tied out for a minute or two while you run into the store or something.
Let's just say that it's good to teach them a "quiet" command as soon as possible once they figure out the barking... otherwise you'll have to learn to live with a lot of noise )


And Jennifer, I'm with Kori - your trick is so awesome
I'd love to teach it to my guys but they never growl on the tug so I'm not sure how to go about it... lol

Yeah, Cajun was great To any by-standers when I was doing the grr or grrbark with him it looked like he wanted to chew on my head. Cajun was very smart, and baring of the teeth was easy to teach also because he would naturally "smile" when he was happy. He got the nickname "Smiley" because when I came home from work he'd wrinkle his lips and snort and wag his whole body with his canines hanging out like a fashion accessory

I teach my dogs some pretty meaningless things sometimes, like getting bottles of water from the small fridge, or turning lights on and off, closing doors. Useful tasks in service dogs, which he was, but I did not require that sort of thing. I would teach him things just because I could lol.

Yuko-

I had to think about how to do it for a while. Some dogs only growl when in a serious situation, rather than when "playing" in prey drive. I just had to remember when and what triggered Cajun to let loose a growl. You could try making growly sounds while playing tug with the dog in prey drive and see if you get any response, but this depends on the dog as to whether or not it's a good idea. Some dogs are more likely to become serious in response to a growl, so you might want to tie the dog if you have concern or just avoid growling all together. Make is as playful of a sound as you can. Though I not not everybody can growl, it tickles the throat. Key being you want to be a playmate not a threat or challenger, of course.

Do your dogs growl when playing with eachother? I would think just trying to be around to catch it, which with growling can be tricky, for sure.

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

 Quote: lisa kidd

You can mark the behavior when you catch him barking. What I have done also is have a really good reward, chicken works well here, and tell the dog speak by holding the chicken just out of reach to build some frustration. I also bark while telling them speak. Usually at some point they will whine or make some sort of noise and earn the reward. Once they start doing that then they start only getting reinforced for a real bark. I haven't really tried it yet with Jerri Lee but I built on speak with my Dobe to teach her how to count. She would bark once for each treat I held. Then you asked her to take one away, which she grabbed and ate, then ask how many are left where she would bark once for each treat left.


Lisa

Wow, that's very nice! To get the right count, did you indicate each treat and ask for bark with each nod or point or whatever?

Or do you say the number? If you say the number, how do you get the dog to be aware that the command is coming but not start barking before he knows which number you're going to say?

I kept asking how many-speak, until she would bark on how many alone. After the correct number of barks she got one which became take one away. I'm sure there was some body language going on too that she was picking up clues from. She would do this anywhere, anytime. Customers at work used to love it. So they have try outs locally for Lettermans stupid pet tricks one year and I decide to take her. Yep it's out turn I ask her how many and all I get is a blank look like you idiot I'm a dog, dogs can't count.


Lisa

Didn't read all the replies, so I might be repeating other advice....

I taught Ginger how to "speak" by barking at her myself and then rewarded her after she mimicked me.

So I'd say, "Ginger speak" and I'd bark... or say "woof". She caught on very quickly and now barks on command....... and sometimes without.

My thoughts were to teach her to speak on command so I could teach the "no speak" command. Not sure that is really working.

I used the knock on the front door to teach my dogs on command barking..

If my dog barks in the house, I sometimes take him out the front door to get a look, if nothing is there he knows and stops, so he knows he made a mistake or heard something else. I always reward him though. Got him to bark in the beginning real young with food, although no other training is done with food. Wait till your dog barks for whatever and say speak (or whatever you use) and reward him. Once he knows what you want he will speak.


Sgt Matt