What is the 3 bark rule?
Ahmed Heller
2025-07-19 20:03:07
Count answers
: 9
The Thank You Protocol is a guide to help families work through, diminish and potentially even eliminate excessive, non-alert type barking without using aversive methods. This protocol teaches your dog that it is ok to alert with up to 3 barks and that you take it from there. Essentially, this protocol allows your dog to fulfill their natural desire to bark and alert you to something, but eliminates excessive barking, all while using positive reinforcement-based training methods. By ‘thanking’ them for barking, we are acknowledging their attempt to communicate with us without being dismissive and letting them know that we are aware of the situation and can handle it from here. The Thank You Protocol consists of 3 sequences: Thank you, 1-2-3, All Done! Sequence 2 is counting 1-2-3, this gives your dog until the count of 3 to finish barking. This protocol is also referred to as the 3 bark rule, which implies that the dog is allowed to bark up to 3 times before the owner intervenes.
Sequence 1 is Thank you, this acknowledges their natural desire to bark and communicate with us. The 3 bark rule is essentially the basis of the protocol, allowing the dog to bark up to 3 times before the sequence of thanking them, counting, and then saying "All Done" to stop the barking.
The Thank You Protocol is a method to address barking by allowing dogs to bark up to 3 times, and then taking over the situation, which is the core idea of the 3 bark rule.
Read also
- How to stop a dog barking at other dogs when playing?
- Why does my dog bark at my other dogs when they play?
- How do you discipline a dog that barks at other dogs?
- How to train a dog to stop barking while playing?
- How to stop dog reactive barking?
- How to respond when your dog barks at other dogs?
- How to stop a dog from barking when playing a ball?
- Do vets recommend anti-barking devices?