Barking on command?

[buzzles]

My Springer spaniel Milo is getting on great. Following on from my previous post, he's a lot happier about going in the car, still not excited about it but he doesn't act like I'm dragging him to his execution and tolerates as he's realised car=fun walks!

Anyway I've been trying to teach him to bark on command but not having much luck. He's very clever and responsive and easy to train in general, and if I can just get him to bark so I can reward him I'm sure he'll pick it up easily. He does bark, like at birds, when playing with the other dogs etc., but I can't seem to get him excited enough, he's very toy orientated and I've tried winding him up and teasing him but all I get is just a bit of whining and leaping about! Whenever I hear him bark, like at birds or the guineapigs I say Speak and reward him but don't think he's put 2 and 2 together!

Any other tips appreciated!

 

[soloabe]

Do you clicker train?

I would start small.

Click and treat for a whine a couple of times.
Wait for a bigger or louder whine and click and treat.

Then after he is doing big whines on command wait out for a bark.

 

[Dry Rot]

Barking or whining is a serious fault in spaniel field trials, so this trait has been selected against by breeders. I'm afraid it will be hard work, but can be done. Sounds as if you are doing everything right.

Maybe tease him with his food at feed time and only feed him in response to some vocalisation (even a pathetic whine at first!) and work up from that. You'll need a hungry dog and a hard heart!

It's a fun thing to do and very handy to train a dog to bark when it wants out, etc.

 

[CorvusCorax]

A good tease should elicit some sort of grumble and as suggested, just find out what he wants and reward him with it when he vocalises it.

When we're doing foundation for protection work, the dog is teased with a rag and only gets it when he barks.
One thing to remember is that restraining the dog can help increase frustration and lead to a bark - tied to a post with you teasing or with you on the lead and someone else doing the teasing, with the object *just* out of reach. Make sure the dog is in a harness or flat collar, if the collar is thin or restrictive then the dog will correct itself when it makes a jump or lunge for the article and he will hurt himself.

Some dogs get it, some dogs don't.

 

[buzzles]

thanks everyone. I realise spaniels aren't supposed to bark working as gun dogs but we are in the very early stages of training for the the possibility of becoming a search dog and a very important part of it is barking on command. I don't clicker train but it's something I'll look into. I think the key is getting him wound up enough, good idea about tying him up or else I might try putting his toy up high on something as he's very vocal at blackbirds in trees. He's not hugely food motivated, much prefers toys. I'll keep trying anyway, I'm sure we'll get there!

 

[EAST KENT]

Even my bull terriers learn this one in a couple of minutes!They are very foody,so sit them down and stand in front of them.I say "speak" very intently staring at them,even may do a mini bark myself..at the smallest attempt lots of cheering and a treat,and right away do it again. So easy with greedy dogs.