QuietDog stops barking on cue
Requires speak first, because you need to produce the bark to mark the silence after it. The dog learns that silence after the bark is what earns the reward. Without speak, you are waiting for random barking to stop.
Also known as: Enough, Shush
At a glance
- Tier
- 2 · Intermediate
- Time to fluency
- 4–10 weeks
- Practice
- 4× per week, 5 min each
- Equipment
- High-value treats
Prerequisites
Your dog should know these words first:
How to teach quiet
Lure
Cue a speak, then hold a treat at the nose. The sniffing stops the barking
- Cue speak, wait for one bark, then hold a treat at the nose
- The dog will stop barking to sniff. Mark the silence immediately
- Reward 1 second of silence, then 2, then 5
- Do not shout 'quiet' over the barking. Wait for a pause
Hand Signal
Finger to your lips or a closed-hand gesture
- Show the signal after the bark, wait for silence, mark and reward
- Keep the gesture calm and small. Big movements excite barking dogs
- The signal should predict 'silence pays' rather than 'stop that'
Verbal Cue
A calm, low word given once
- Say the word once, calmly, then wait for quiet
- Never shout the quiet cue. Shouting sounds like joining the barking
- Practise in controlled speak-then-quiet sets before using it during real barking
- Gradually use it in situations that trigger barking (doorbell, outside noises)
Success criteria
- Unlearned
- Does not stop barking on any cue
- In progress
- Stops barking on the word alone, indoors
- Mastered
- Stops barking within seconds of the cue, even when genuinely aroused (doorbell, passing dog)
Common mistakes
- Shouting 'quiet' over the barking, which sounds like joining in
- Rewarding after 0 seconds of silence. The dog needs to hold the quiet briefly
- Skipping speak and trying to teach quiet from random barking
- Getting angry, which raises arousal and produces more barking