Barking dog: Putting 'bark' and 'shush' on cue

My dog is an arousal and frustration barker. Whenever other dogs are having fun in the water but he doesn't quite dare join the hurly-burly, he just barks. He also barks when I don't follow with my next training game fast enough. During training class, it got to be a problem, so I taught him to bark and shush on cue.

Stage 1 was to capture him barking. I would use the problem moments when I knew he'd bark for training. I would say 'bark' just before he barked, then click/treat. Soon, he would shut up in his amazement. When I got good at predicting when he would shut up, I would precede this by saying 'shush' and putting my finger in from of my lips in the human 'shush' gesture. I would then IMMEDIATELY click for silence.

To get this to sustained silence, delay the moment you click for the shush more and more. Click when the dog is about to bark, but hasn't barked yet and you'll be making the fastest progress. When the dog is tempted, but is keeping it together.

And voila! A dog who barks and shushes on cue.

Note this won't work for dogs who have a deep-seated emotional reason for barking. For these dogs, please consult your local dog behaviourist. If you are in The Hague, you can find my contacts in my YouTube profile.