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Hi Hugh,
Barking on command at a potential threat is something that is done with mature dogs that are old enough to take pressure. it is actually more advanced than even the bite suit work in my opinion, since when working with the sleeves and suit it is still a game and when we do the barking it is mainly in the dogs’ defensive/fight drive. It is actually not that hard to do if you have the right dog that barks easily at someone who is suspicious. You are mainly putting a command to it and setting up scenarios. It is similar to the things you see in the “nikko” videos in the members area where we use the muzzle or hidden sleeve, except you dont let the dog bite the person. It is something that you will need an agitator to help you with. Teaching a dog to basically “speak” on command toward a person, sort of the way you would if the dog was begging for a treat or a schutzhund sleeve is something that we never do, mainly because it might look good in a demo but it would never ever fly in a real situation. Dogs that are good candidates for this training usually have good REACTIVE AGGRESSION. It is mainly about having the right dog for the right training plan. Here is a good link that has good explanation of different aggression types that are genetically based. With the right genetics in place than the right training can happen: The Components of Strong Working Dog Temperament
