Will clicker training work for barking?

[ItsAllaBitNoisy]

Any advice?

I use a whistle for recall, which works well, but the barking is driving me nuts.

Yep sure does.

Two ways - teach the dog to bark so when the dog barks click and treat. (be prepared for this to increase the barking for a short while) Teach this for a few days. Praise every bark that you ask the dog to do and ignore other barks.

Then get the dog to bark on command and then the second the dog is quiet click and treat. Eventually add the word quiet so the dog will know bark on command and also be quiet on command.

Do be prepared for this to drive you mad while training it get ear plugs warn the neighbours as it will get worse before it gets better but then when it is learnt an end to that barking.

If it not possible to do the above put a house lead on the dog when it barks remove it to a room all on its own and leave it. When the dog is quiet go into the room and click and treat. Add the commmand quiet the second the dog stops barking after a few days.

What makes your dog bark? Removing the cause is often as easy if possible.

Yep, what she said ^

It's amazing how quickly they catch on when you teach something with a clicker. However, as Minimu said, be prepared for a flurry of "Wow, barking gets a treat!" yapping until Rover learns that only CUED barking works :D

Sorry, only seen the replies now, many thanks.

So when he starts barking do I say "Bark" then click and treat? I will have to treat him for "bad" barking initially, as he doesn't know the command to bark to.

He is a happy dog, just v v noisy (intact Bichon Frise). I had to remove him from the vets today, he was upsetting all the other dogs and even the receptionists were starting to look frazzled .

He's just barking in a "OMG!! This is FABULOUS - lets all PLAY!!!" kind of way, rather than a "I'm going to kill you all" way.

I'll start tomorrow. Thanks again.

If he barks quite a lot/regularly, you might not even need a clicker to teach it on cue.

While he barks, say excitedly "Speak! Speak!" or whatever word you choose. If you can accurately predict exactly WHEN he's about to bark, give the word a split second before, and keep repeating it during the barking session. Essentially, you're telling him what he's doing, and pairing the behaviour with a word.

Do this enough, and before too long, when you say "Speak!" excitedly, he'll start gobbing off automatically :)

Then you can give him a treat and introduce the "Quiet" or "Sssh" cue. Because he's not actually barking AT anything this time, other than your "Speak" cue, he should shut up while he eats his treat. When he looks at you for another treat, say "Quiet" (telling him what he's doing) - give treat. Repeat a few times.

Now you've got two cues - "Speak" means let's have a jolly bark. "Quiet" means shut up, there's a treat on the way.

When you're fairly sure he's got the idea, practise asking him to speak, then asking for quiet, and treating. Then speak, then quiet, etc, so he gets a clear idea of both, opposing cues.

If he's a barker anyway, you probably won't have to treat for barking - he obviously finds it rewarding enough in itself.

Thanks for taking the time Kate.

I am prepared. Naturally, he hasn't barked at all this morning...

I'll get someone to ring the doorbell/knock on the door to get the training started. In fact the postman might be delighted to help - he gets a aural savaging every morning anyway.

LOL @ him not barking all morning!

But yeah, if you have to enlist the help of mates/postman to set up situations to make him bark, do so.

Unless you can wind him up with a toy/treat whatever.

whilst i totally get how frustrating constant barking is, i have to say your little one sounds like a lot of fun. teh way you describe him barking like "OMG this is fabulous..."