How to Teach Your Dog to Stop Bark Using The ‘Quiet Command’.

Teaching your dog to stop barking is one of the most rewarding and for some, life-changing aspects of being a dog owner. If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of a neighbours incessant barking dog or an evening’s peace disrupted by your dog woofing his/her head off, you’ll definitely be willing to put this trick into your ‘command’ pocket.
While the instruction to be quiet won’t make your puppy or dog silent all the time, yes, some dogs will bark more than others, it will definitely help you get your pooch to quiet down when you really need it.

Barking for dogs is quite a natural and instinctive action, so much so that it’s one of the major behavioural issues people have with their dog. Barking for dogs can be a result of a number of underlying issues, which PetsBook has covered with a series of articles on the subject.
It’s also worth noting it’s going to be harder to teach your dog to bark on cue that to be quiet on command, which may bring a sigh of relief to some.

This obedience training article for dogs will teach you how to train your dog to stop barking on request using the ‘Quiet Command‘ and as is our philosophy at PetsBook, will be taught by adopting positive reinforcement training techniques.

The following list is what I recommend you have handy for this dog training command session:

• Small sized, soft treats that are very tasty
• Clicker
• Quiet space with no distractions

If you don’t have, or prefer not to use a ‘clicker’, you can substitute it by using the word ‘yes’.

Dog training essentials available from Ezydog Australia

In a previous article, we went through how to teach your dog to bark. If you have been able to do that, you can now make use of that training, but if not, you’ll need to trigger your dog to bark. Whether it’s the doorbell or if it’s other dogs, take a recording of them barking on your phone to see if that will start your dog barking.

Steps to Teaching the ‘Quiet Command’

Requesting your dog to be silent and stop barking is essentially only a 3-step process, making it very easy to implement and practice.

1/ Make Your Dog Bark

Either with the ‘Speak Command’ or the trigger that sets your pooch off, get him/her to bark.

2/ Reward the Silence

As soon as your dog stops barking, ‘mark’ the moment, say the word ‘Quiet’ and at the same time reward with a treat, then praise with lots of ‘Good Boy/Girl’.

Timing is everything with this action. While it may seem like you’re rewarding your dog for barking, what we’re doing is rewarding when your dog stops barking, even momentarily, so he/she will understand while barking there’s no reward, but when not barking there is.

The trick here is to make sure you reward and use the ‘Quiet Command’ simultaneously, then praise with a happy but calm voice, remember we’re also trying to calm your excited pooch down, so yelling at him/her will only make matter worse.

3/ Extend the Period of Silence

Your dog will soon start to woof less each time, understanding that not barking will get the treat. When this happens, you can start challenging them to stay silent for a few seconds longer.
This will take some patience and repetition. Start by rewarding your dog and saying the command Quiet as soon as they’re quiet.
The next time your dog barks and then becomes silent, say ‘Quiet’ when he/she does, but delay giving the treat for a second. When you do feed your clever pooch the treat, always praise with your calm, happy voice.

The time after that, withhold giving the treat for two seconds. The time after that delay your dog’s treat reward for three seconds and so on. If your dog starts to cut corners and bark again before you’ve given them the reward, take a few steps back and run through the process again with shorter increments.

Yes, patience is required on your behalf, but by persisting, your dog will soon learn by calming down, relaxing and not barking he/she will get that tasy treat, making silence gold.

Summary of How To Teach Your Dog The ‘Quiet Command’

At the risk of being repetitive, consistency, practice and patience are the keys to dog training success. It’s also important not to keep repeating the command. You should aim to say it once to have your four-legged friend ‘stop woofing’ on request.
Additionally, only ‘mark’ on a single bark. You don’t want your dog to think ‘Quiet’ means start woofing continuously.

Some dogs that aren’t overly motivated by food treats (rare) will almost certainly take to cooked chicken pieces. However, I would strongly suggest finding a commercial option that works because apart from the expense, chicken is messy and doesn’t last very long out of a sealed container in the fridge.
Pet shops have many brands and flavours to choose from these days, and many are made with healthy natural ingredients. I would also suggest using and rotating several different types, so your dog doesn’t become used to just one.
The most important point with using treats as a reward for good behaviour is that they must be tempting enough to persuade your dog to abandon their unwanted behaviour and go for the food option.

Having trouble, or have a question about getting your dog to be silent and stop barking using the ‘Quiet Command’?
Leave a comment for ‘Bear’ below and he’ll be happy to answer it for you, especially if you get his attention by using his name.

We at PetsBook also recommend getting out with your dog and join a training course.
Pet Directory has many dog training clubs listed near you with experienced and accredited dog trainers, ready to help you with dog obedience and dog command training.

» List of Dog Training Commands

Bear

Hi, I’m Bear, the Training Manager at PetsBook. With over 20 years experience using positive reinforcement dog training techniques, I’m proud to have the opportunity to help you develop a stronger bond with your fur baby, by teaching you useful commands with obedience training.