Train Your Livestock Guardian Dog to Speak and Be Quiet: The First Step to End Unwanted Barking
Many livestock guardian dogs (LGDs), such as Great Pyrenees, are known to bark a lot. And I mean A LOT. Some owners would say “excessively.” In truth, their frequent barking is one of the many ways they protect their livestock and loved ones from potential predators.
So why would you want to train your Great Pyrenees (or other LGD) to “speak” when he already barks so much? For one thing, it’s often easier to train your dog to stop barking when he has already learned “speak.” For another thing, “speak” can just be a really fun training command to have under your belt. It’s pretty cute when your dog barks on command.
Why would you want to train your Great Pyrenees (or other LGD) to stop barking and be quiet?… Do I really need to answer that one?
In this article, you will learn how to teach your LGD to speak and to be quiet. These commands are the first steps your dog will need to learn in order for you to help end unwanted barking. For more information on how to get your livestock guardian dog to stop barking at inappropriate times, check out my article, Train Your Great Pyrenees to Stop Barking: When You Don’t Want Fido to ‘Speak.’
Before you get started on training, you will want to make sure to follow these two steps:
Exercise your dog before training.
Choose a training environment with no distractions.
For information on why these steps are critical for your dog’s training success, check out my writing on How to Start Obedience Training with Your Dog.
If you are new to training, I suggest you first start with basic training and safety commands before teaching your dog to speak and be quiet. Check out these two articles to learn basic and safety training:
Training Your Livestock Guardian Dog to Sit, Lay Down, Stand, and Shake
The 4 Commands Your Livestock Guardian Dog Must Know: Come, Leave It, Off, and Look at Me
How to teach the “speak” and “be quiet” commands to your livestock guardian dog
Step one: Get your dog’s favorite reward ready
For a trick like this, you really want your dog to be extra motivated.
Choose a treat like real chicken or cheese. If your dog is not super food motivated, using a favorite toy can also work well. Some dogs respond best to praise. Figure out what your dog wants most.
Before beginning your training, have your dog sit and give him a piece of the treat you will be using so he knows you have something he really wants (or play with the toy, give him praise, etc.).
Step two: Wait for your dog to make a sound, any sound
Hold the treat out in your hand, just out of your dog’s reach.
Look at your dog and wait for him to bark (Don’t say the command “speak.” He won’t know what that means yet.)
Ignore other behaviors. Your dog will try doing everything he knows how to do to see if that is the behavior you are looking for.
Reward for even the smallest of vocalizations and say “yes, good.”
Step three: Teach your dog to make louder sounds
Once your dog starts making sounds and you’ve rewarded him for those sounds, do not stop your training session yet.
Keep rewarding your dog for any sound he makes, and continue to say “yes, good” every time he makes a sound.
Once your dog lets out a bigger bark, give him several treats in a row to show him that is what you really want.
Step four: Teach your dog the verbal command, “speak”
You do not want to move onto this stage until your dog is more consistently barking—and actually barking, not just growling or rumbling.
Once your dog has the bark sound down, you can start to add in the verbal command, “speak.”
Say the word “speak” right before your dog barks or as he is barking
Repeat the exercise until you’re confident your dog understands the word
Step five: Give the verbal command first
Say “speak” and reward your dog when he barks. At this point it is important to ONLY give your dog a treat when you specifically ask him to speak, not just for any type of barking.
If this takes a moment, your dog may not quite understand the word and you may want to return to step four.
Step six: Teach the command, “be quiet”
You’ll want to be sure to teach your dog the “be quiet” command very soon after teaching “speak.” This is because you have just taught your dog that he gets treats when he barks now. He will also need to understand what quiet means.
If your dog is barking wait until there is a moment of silence, then say “yes, quiet.”
Ask your dog to “speak” and reward him when he does.
Then say “quiet” and reward your dog when he does not bark.
Do this back to back many times so your dog starts to understand the difference between both commands.
Check out the YouTube video below for a demonstration of this training process:
And that’s it! Practice, practice, practice! Follow these steps many times over days, weeks, or months until your dog has these steps down pat.
For more information on livestock guardian dogs and barking, check out my articles:
Train Your Great Pyrenees to Stop Barking: When You Don’t Want Fido to ‘Speak’
Livestock Guardian Dogs and Barking: Some Breeds Bark Less Than Others
You May Also Be Interested in:
Brain Training for Dogs: The Best Online Obedience Training Program for Livestock Guardian Dogs
How to Train Your Livestock Guardian Dog to Love Wearing a Muzzle!