Jarena
Well-Known Member
My girl, Lettie, is 9 months old and I have been trying to teach her “quiet”. I want her to stop barking when I tell her to. I try not to say it when I feel like she has a reason to bark. If we both hear a weird noise or if someone is at the door I am ok with a little barking and usually that’s all she does anyway. I usually get up and tell her to come “check it out” with me.
Lately she has decided to just plain yell at me sometimes. Usually when she wants attention or if she wants something I have. Like if she brings me her ball to play fetch, and I hold for a minute without throwing it (because I’m distracted, not to tease her) she will start barking. I don’t give her what she wants. She knows that if she wants me to throw the ball, she needs to sit quietly. I can usually tell when she is about to bark so I tell her “quiet” and she will just let out a little grumble instead.
She seems to listen to the “quiet” command much better when she is barking because she wants something specific: I have what she wants in my hand. So if she listens= she gets what she wants. When she barks for attention, she doesn’t listen, because I don’t have a reward in my hand for her.
The problem is sometimes she just barks for attention. I want to make sure I am training her correctly. I have been telling her “quiet” then when she stops barking for a couple seconds, I tell her “good girl”. BUT I want to know: is that the way to do it? Am I marking the quiet or the barking with “good girl”? Or should I be completely ignoring her when she barks for attention? Also, SHOULD I be practicing “quiet” when she has a good reason to bark, or let her bark a little for warning? Is there a better way to teach this command? Any advice would be appreciated
Lately she has decided to just plain yell at me sometimes. Usually when she wants attention or if she wants something I have. Like if she brings me her ball to play fetch, and I hold for a minute without throwing it (because I’m distracted, not to tease her) she will start barking. I don’t give her what she wants. She knows that if she wants me to throw the ball, she needs to sit quietly. I can usually tell when she is about to bark so I tell her “quiet” and she will just let out a little grumble instead.
She seems to listen to the “quiet” command much better when she is barking because she wants something specific: I have what she wants in my hand. So if she listens= she gets what she wants. When she barks for attention, she doesn’t listen, because I don’t have a reward in my hand for her.
The problem is sometimes she just barks for attention. I want to make sure I am training her correctly. I have been telling her “quiet” then when she stops barking for a couple seconds, I tell her “good girl”. BUT I want to know: is that the way to do it? Am I marking the quiet or the barking with “good girl”? Or should I be completely ignoring her when she barks for attention? Also, SHOULD I be practicing “quiet” when she has a good reason to bark, or let her bark a little for warning? Is there a better way to teach this command? Any advice would be appreciated