Dogs, aside from being good companions and loyal friends have also served as protectors of man. Dogs that are purposely developed for protection work are trained to discriminate dangerous situations and to bark to alert the master. Dogs already know how to bark thus teaching the dog to do a natural behavior seems to be unnecessary. Dogs already know how to bark but as the objective of the training is to make the dog learn when to bark and when not to bark, this task would not be so easy after all. The training's objective is to hone the dog's discriminatory instinct so that it will only bark at situations that need the master's attention.
For a dog to be an effective watch dog, it has to learn to bark at situations that would need the master's attention. This is rather a hard task for dogs as these animals really do have the inclination to bark. The slightest movement and sound will already make a dog bark. These animals even bark at shadows created by leaves on the trees. Teaching the dog discriminatory barking is difficult but it can be done.
There are many techniques available to teach a dog to bark but due to individual differences, one technique that was proven effective for one dog may not work for another. In any kind of training using positive reinforcement is proven to be effective. What you need to do is to curb the dog's tendency to bark at anything. Position the leashed dog near the gate where the pet will be enticed to bark at passersby.
Generally, dogs will bark at anyone that passes by so you will be given a chance to command the dog to stop barking. "Quiet" or "No bark" given in a firm authoritative voice will let the dog know that you, the alpha male means business. The dog will eventually understand that barking at the postman or at the passing cars will annoy the master.
Ask someone to open the gate or to ring the bell. Give the bark command as the person is about to enter the gate. The command can be "bark" or "speak". A treat given every time the dog barks will lure the pet to respond to training. Consistent training using the same command will eventually make the dog learn discriminatory barking. Always reward or praise the dog every time it obeys your command. Make sure to praise and reward the dog as these positive reinforcements will entice the dog to respond well to the training.
For a dog to be an effective watch dog, it has to learn to bark at situations that would need the master's attention. This is rather a hard task for dogs as these animals really do have the inclination to bark. The slightest movement and sound will already make a dog bark. These animals even bark at shadows created by leaves on the trees. Teaching the dog discriminatory barking is difficult but it can be done.
There are many techniques available to teach a dog to bark but due to individual differences, one technique that was proven effective for one dog may not work for another. In any kind of training using positive reinforcement is proven to be effective. What you need to do is to curb the dog's tendency to bark at anything. Position the leashed dog near the gate where the pet will be enticed to bark at passersby.
Generally, dogs will bark at anyone that passes by so you will be given a chance to command the dog to stop barking. "Quiet" or "No bark" given in a firm authoritative voice will let the dog know that you, the alpha male means business. The dog will eventually understand that barking at the postman or at the passing cars will annoy the master.
Ask someone to open the gate or to ring the bell. Give the bark command as the person is about to enter the gate. The command can be "bark" or "speak". A treat given every time the dog barks will lure the pet to respond to training. Consistent training using the same command will eventually make the dog learn discriminatory barking. Always reward or praise the dog every time it obeys your command. Make sure to praise and reward the dog as these positive reinforcements will entice the dog to respond well to the training.
About the Author:
Find out more about how to make a dog bark as well as dog first aid at Sarah's Dogs.
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