How to Train Your Dog to Bark

Hello, Check out the article I have linked below. I would try the doorbell method first if your dog tends to bark at the door when guests come over. If pup doesn't bark then, I would try things like sirens and howling dogs on recording next. A video of a siren may do the trick, but if not, you can find a park near a fire station or hospital and practice there with the real sirens that go off. Once pup has learned the Speak command, you can cue pup to bark and encourage it at the times you want pup too. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-german-shepherd-to-speak Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Caellan, Check out the article linked below. If pup will bark at the door bell or door knock, the Door Knock method. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-german-shepherd-to-speak If pup doesn't bark at the door, you can follow the same door bark method, but have pup watch the neighbors dogs from your yard or window while they are outside to trigger the barking - then command speak and reward, then command quiet and reward when pup becomes quiet. You can also follow the Capture method, which should work as well when pup barks at the neighbor's dogs, that method will just take a bit longer to teach since you will be waiting until the behavior happens on it's own. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Blaire, First, you will have to find what does trigger his bark. Check out the article linked below and the "video method". If you can get pup to bark using that method, use that to teach speak, then have someone knock on the door and command speak each time, then reward. Practice this until pup will do it when someone knocks and you don't say speak - then reward with several treats when he does it on his own. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-german-shepherd-to-speak If pup won't speak using that method, use the Capture method found in the same article. That method can also be used to teach the initial Speak command, then the door training is the same after that. This method will take longer because it requires to catching pup speaking. Also, some dogs will bark at small animals, horns, fire sirens, or people acting weird outside your window (waving arms, dressed odd with a hat, trench coat and glasses type outfit, and banging on things). Try a few different triggers to see if you can find one he regularly barks at, then teach the Speak command similar to the "Door Knocking method" from the article I linked above, that also contains the capture or video methods - saying speak, triggering the barking, then rewarding, practicing until pup will bark without the trigger when you just say Speak in order to receive a reward. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden