How do I train my dog to only bark on command, and be quiet when I say so?

first find out what makes him bark. find the trigger. say he barks when someone is at the door or barks when there's thunder and lightning.

then if possible, activate the trigger. so if he barks when someone is at the door, get a friend who's willing to help to press the door bell. just before he barks, during the breath he'll take before the bark, give your command SPEAK or BARK or any other of your choice. let him bark for around 5 times, then put your hand on the back of his neck and say ENOUGH or HUSH. that should stop him, if it doesn't, put your hand under his snout and turn his head so that you can look at him in the eye.

practise a couple of times everyday, but not continuously though. after a while, say HUSH when he's barking and he should stop barking. praise him, make a huge fuss and everything. positive reinforcement is very important.

good luck with your pup!

There's two different things you'd have to address, and it's pretty difficult to tell him he can bark, but then immediately tell him he can't.

The problem is he feels safe when you're home. He probably views you as the pack leader. Then you leave, and he's alone, and anxious. It's seperation anxiety. He doesn't know where you are, when you're coming back, if you're okay, what you're doing, etc. I'd say let this one go. I'm guessing he barks from like 8-4? Your neighbours are up. Having a dog means barking. You will never get a completely silent dog (unless they're very timid), like you'll never get a completely house trained dog.

If you /need/ to train him, then train him to bark on command first. There must be something that triggers him. My old dog used to bark for up to three minutes if someone rang the door bell. So say "bark," immediately do the trigger, and after he barks, tell him he's a good boy, give him a treat, praise him. Continue this until he learns that "bark" = he has to bark = treat.

Then address the other situation. This might be harder, since it's when you aren't home. You can for a drive and come back, maybe go to a neighbour's or a friend's that is a walk away (he probably knows what the car sounds like so he'd stop when he hears it) and stay there for a while. Then go outside after an hour, and listen to see if you hear him barking. If he is, immediately open the door and tell him sternly "no". I don't know how else to correct the behaviour as you aren't there to witness it.

One last idea is a crate, if you don't have one. Give the dog a safe place to rest in during the day. (Don't lock him in there - if he fights and you're not there, he can injure himself.) There's many great articles about crate training and the benefits.

Frankly, like I said before, it's a dog. Dogs are almost always loud. They're loving and playful and they show their affection by barking. They protect you by barking. I've known people that have made it so their dogs can't bark by surgery, or that muzzle their dog while they're gone which is extremely dangerous, as many can get caught and end up suffocating. It's sad. I like barking, personally.

always remember treats phrase and persistance dogs love nothing more than making their owners happy. using a hand gesture at the same time as a voice command will help my dog is 13 and deaf now i still use the word and the hand gesture and it still works. the hand gesture i use is fist clenched then open it when i say speak. ok so how i got him to do this was when he barked i would say speak everytime so he would associate the word with what he was doing and everytime he barked as soon as i said it i would phrase him in a excited voice so when he picked this up and did it on command i added the hand gesture but some dogs are easier to train then others but they all get there in the end just remember to keep it fun dogs can get board easily if your dog doesnt bark often enough to be able to link it to your voice command then you can try; say speak (or which ever word you choose) and bark yourself your dog will copy just dont do it when to many people are around you may look crazy but it will work.

Step 1

Hold a particular toy, such as a ball or squeak toy that causes your dog to bark. Give the command BARK or SPEAK.

Step2

When your dog barks say, GOOD.

Step3

Give him the toy or food as a reward and praise him.

Step4

Repeat steps 1 through 3 until your dog understands the command to bark.

Step5

When your dog understands the command, command him to bark.

Step6

After three barks say, QUIET or SILENCE or any other word(s) to command him not to bark. Praise and reward him with the toy.

Step7

Repeat steps 5 and 6 until he understands the command.

Step8

Instead of using a toy, have someone knock on the door and repeat steps 2 through 7, rewarding him with praise and affection when he succeeds.

Yep, I have this same problem. What i would sugust, is not teaching him to bark on comand, because that incouraes him to bark. But, if you REALLY want him to brk on comand, teach him how to bark as it suits you, then, when he baarks when you don't want him to, yell 'NO!". Now, if you are gone, try getting a bark collar. Everytime the dog trys to bark, it will ive them a very light shock. Be sure to test it while you are watching though first.

i have a cavalier too. shes only 13 weeks old. when you leave her at home, try crating her, even though im guessing hes already house broken. being in the crate might be wierd at first for him, but eventually if you make him want to go in instead of just making him go in, it will become a secure place to rest while you are gone. putting in a kong toy with treats or some peanut butter always helps too, becauuse it keeps them busy and mealtimes last longer, which means less barking. good luck and i hope this helps!

ps those barking collars really hurt my brother shocked me with one lol!

Do not reward your dog if he hasn't first earned the praise. That is, make him "work for the praise." If your dog approaches you and demands to be petted, then make him sit, first. Or hold a down-stay. Or some other exercise. He needs to learn that nothing in life is free!

You can see one free lesson on our site.