It’s easier to teach your dog to shush when he is calm and focused. Therefore teaching your dog to “Woof” on cue is the first step in “Shush” training, this enables you to teach “Shush” at your convenience, and not at inconvenient times when the dog decides to bark.
First we have to teach this as a trick for a reward, like a treat.
Set up an accomplice outside the front door to elicit the barking so you can practice.
Say “Woof” (or speak, bark, alert) which is the cue for your assistant to ring the bell. Praise your dog profusely when he barks; maybe even bark along with your dog. This is a game; do not become frustrated, he will get it.
- Your cue “Woof!” “Speak” whatever you choose you must be consistent.
- Do something that will make your dog bark
- Praise from you: “good! Wonderful!” after a few barks
- Your cue “Shush”
- Show the dog the food treat
- The dog is distracted by the treat so stops barking
- Get 3 -5 seconds of quiet during which you are praising “goooooooood Shush!”
- Give the dog the treat he has earned after the 3-5 seconds of perfect quiet
- Do it again from number (1) and gradually extend the length of time of the “Shush” up to a minute or two.
- Do it over and over until your dog knows the game. It may take several sessions, so hang in there.
How do you know if he understands the game?
He knows the game when he “Woofs” on cue and doesn’t need the trigger anymore and he quiets on the first cue to “Shush” without you showing him the treat.
He still gets a treat though, that you have already placed in your pocket or next to you. But if he gets in even a muffled bark or two, say “Oh! Too bad” and start counting the “Shush” time from the beginning again. He needs to learn that barking during quiet time was a mistake that cost him his treat.
By alternating instructions to “Woof” and “Shush”, the dog is praised and rewarded for barking on request and for shushing on request.
Speak softly when instructing your dog to shush, and reinforce your dog’s silence with a whisper of praise. The more softly you speak, the more your dog will be inclined to pay attention and listen and therefore not bark. Use treats that are high value to your dog and that he does not usually receive. Make it worth his while to control himself.
You have to have the ability to yo-yo the dog back and forth between the bark and quiet in training sessions before you take it on the road for real situations. Barking is compulsive for many dogs so you have to build this up to actual visitor trials.
When you can turn the barking on and off anytime as a trick you can now start practicing in real life situations. The first few times may be rough and you may need to show the treat up front only if necessary. Or you can reprimand hopefully in your home, setting this up is the best option here. When the dog ignores you “Shush” cue, flatten him with the growliest, loudest “I said Shush” you can muster, even better get every family member to simultaneously do this. When the dog quiets “what a goooooooood super dog you are” in a very sweet quiet tone.
Something else that can help you with the “Shush” is to have the dog do a down-stay as well as being quiet. To earn the treat, he must remain on a mat near the door and keep his mouth zipped during the quiet period.
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Liz Bradley is a dog lover who lives in Ottawa, Ontario with her husband,