SpeakDog barks once on cue
Teaching speak is half about the bark and half about the off switch. A dog that barks on cue can be taught to stop on cue, which is why quiet is built on top of this skill, not beside it.
Also known as: Bark, Talk
At a glance
- Tier
- 1 · Basic
- Time to fluency
- 2–5 weeks
- Practice
- 3× per week, 5 min each
- Equipment
- Small soft treats
Prerequisites
Your dog should know these words first:
How to teach speak
Lure
Capture an existing bark and mark it
- Wait for a situation where the dog naturally barks (doorbell, excitement)
- Mark the bark, then reward immediately
- If the dog does not bark naturally, hold a treat they want and wait. Frustration often produces a bark
- Reward a single bark, not a string of them
Hand Signal
Open-close hand motion like a talking mouth
- Pair the hand signal with the situation that triggers the bark
- Over sessions, the hand signal alone should trigger the bark
- Keep the gesture small and consistent
Verbal Cue
Add the word before the gesture
- Say the word, then give the hand signal, then mark the bark
- Fade the gesture so the word alone works
- Only ask for one bark at a time. Reward silence after the bark
- Never practise in an apartment at midnight
Success criteria
- Unlearned
- Does not bark on cue (may bark at other things)
- In progress
- Barks once on the word alone, indoors
- Mastered
- Barks once on cue and stops, even in exciting environments
Common mistakes
- Rewarding multiple barks when you only want one
- Practising too often, which can increase overall barking
- Teaching speak without planning to teach quiet afterwards
- Getting frustrated when the dog will not bark. Some dogs need a different trigger