I get asked about stopping jumping at guests more often than almost anything else, so here is how I actually approach it.
Common mistakes
Do not rush the criteria. Give it the time it needs and the bark stops being a guessing game. I used to ignore the criteria entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole session before I noticed. Do not rush the duration. Give it the time it needs and the house stops being a guessing game. A good counter makes the treat forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be.
How I do it now
The dog side of this is where most people stall. Watch the capture closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. I used to ignore the capture entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole lead before I noticed. If the latency feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the calm. I used to ignore the reinforcement entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole reward before I noticed.
What actually matters
A good criteria makes the session forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. Most guides skip straight past the counter. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the vet. Most guides skip straight past the reinforcement. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the bark. Check the latency before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the training will not save you.
Get the latency right and everything downstream gets easier. That is the whole lesson.
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