So as an update, I took some of the various things mentioned here, and decided to start with using the clicker to hood train. I figured it was a simple enough thing that it would be a good refresher (though I do also use a clicker with my dog). Since I messed up hood training before with just high level tidbitting, I also figured this would be good for me to work on. After building the clicker as a bridge, I started with having the hood on the floor, and clicked any time he looked at it. That was shaped into going towards the hood, then touching it/picking it up. Now I have him coming up to the hood when I hold it out, and putting his head into the hood.

Interestingly enough he does get fairly quiet when we're working on the clicker training indoors. He is still noisy, and more so than outside, but it's a significant improvement. Since most of his noise is both around me, and in the house, I'm thinking the clicker will work, as I want him to be quiet indoors but also in proximity to me (if I'm out of the room he's usually quiet). He'd definitely taken to our short little sessions (only 10-15 min so far, once a day) so I'm excited to see how he does once I start marking his periods of silence. So far he's advanced a step each session, no more than two sessions to learn a new behavior, so I'm really curious to see how long it takes him to pick up on being quiet.

One question? What would you all recommend for extending the periods of silence? Should I wait until he is trying to solicit a click and reward by being quiet, and then start making him wait a bit longer before the click? Or should I just click for when he is silent, and jackpot him if he is silent for more than a second or two?