HOW TO USE TREATS TO FIX A BARKING HABIT

I have noticed dog owners using treats as a bribe. For example, I noticed owners give a dog a treat to stop barking. This may work for about 5 seconds, but then, the barking returns with a vengeance.

When you do this, you are teaching your dog that when they bark they get a reward, so it actually amplifies the behavior. However, there is a way to use these same treats to stop this behavior we may have been unintentionally rewarding. So, what now?

Here is the simple solution. This is not a quick fix and will require patience, time, and consistency. Wait for the dog to start barking, stand still, no words, wait for the barking to stop. It may take minutes or even hours, and then as soon as they are quiet, say "quiet". Then give the dog a yummy treat. This is challenging because it forces you to wait out the barking, and it takes a lot of patience. Once you have done this successfully about 10 times, you now have mastered the "quiet" command. When they start barking and you say "quiet", you will get what you asked for! You have made being quiet a rewarding behavior through this process, so there will be no more frustration or constant attempts to get the dog to stop barking. Now you have access to the "off" switch.

I'm here for any training questions!