how to teach your dog to speak

wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. To teach “speak,” I often have another dog act as a role model. This technique works amazingly fast if you are rewarding the “speaking” dog with treats. So grab your pup’s favorite treats—ideally a small one, like Blue Buffalo’s Blue Bits, so as not to overfeed your dog—and let’s learn how to teach a dog to speak. Using buttons for communication, you want your dog to mirror you, by watching you push the button before doing a specific activity they will over time learn to push the button … No, your dog won’t be reciting Shakespeare anytime soon, but barking on command is actually one of the easiest tricks to teach. If he starts listening, praise him. © The American Kennel Club, Inc. 2020. Unlike, say, shaking hands, barking is an instinctive behavior for dogs, so it can be a bit trickier to teach. Baby carrots or frozen green beans (for dogs on a diet). Steps To Teaching The Speak Command I recommend teaching your dog the speak command first. Click and offer it to your dog. In light of this, you shouldn’t try and get in hours of training whenever you have the time. Researchers tested dog-related phrases versus non-dog specific words, and a … Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. The Basenji breed does not bark at all. Once your dog understands your verbal command for “speak,” you can add in a hand signal too. You’ll need your high value dog treats. Until last week he barely barked, and we want him to be a guard dog as well as a companion. Typically, it is 'quiet' or 'hush.' When training, you should only reward barking when you’re asking your dog to bark. AKC actively advocates for responsible dog ownership and is dedicated to advancing dog sports. It is okay to keep giving occasional, unpredictable treats to sharpen behavior. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. How can I make my dog follow me without a treat? Try speaking your command word and give them a treat when they respond. Yet, keep in mind the key is … Unlock expert answers by supporting wikiHow. Find something that will set off barking. % of people told us that this article helped them. Once he does it at home, practice with him in a park where there are more distractions. The training process for teaching your dog to speak is as follows; Start with one button. Work your way up to 10 or 20. Teaching your dog to speak is a fun trick and by learning it, you can teach your dog to be quiet. Choose a verbal cue, this time choosing a word like “speak”, “talk” or “bark”. As soon as your dog stops barking, reward her with positive reinforcement. Then again. Before teaching your dog a new command, you should always decide which word you are going to use without sounding too similar to other cues. Online Vets. I foster dogs, and we use these techniques to train them. To teach your dog to heel, choose a verbal command, such as "Right here," and use it consistently during training. Try to coax him to come towards you with his favorite toy, a ball, or just pinch your two fingers together, acting like you have a treat in hand. Be sure you also respond to barks when you are not actively training. When it does, say "Speak," and give it the treat to reward the behavior. A good book for this is "Canine Body Language: A Photographic Guide" by Brenda Aloff. This could be (1) holding a toy above your head so your dog barks in frustration, (2) ringing the doorbell or finding a doorbell sound on your smart phone or (3) knocking on a wood surface or having a friend knock on the front door on cue. Next, have your dog stand next to you, say the command, and show your dog the heel position. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. For instance, you can train your dog to speak to let you know they need to go outside to do their business. Last year, scientists at York University discovered that using appropriate dog speak, and the right tone of voice, can quickly build bonds between you and your dog. I made my dog start barking but now he wont shut the hell up. The key is to get your dog excited enough to bark. This 2000 hard-cover book with dust jacket has a few black and white photos spread throughout the book, but there should be more. Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. If your dog tries to get it, just close your hand. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Plus, it’s an entertaining trick that tends to be a hit with friends and family! Gradually increase the number of correct responses before you give a treat. Every time I try to get him to stop barking, he gives me a look and ignores me. “Speak” is often used as a simple, fun, trick to show off to friends and family, but it can have more purposeful uses, as well. If you’ve got a vocal dog, there might be many occasions when they bark, like when you grab their leash or a favorite toy. bark at a lower volume). Using “speak”, “talk”, “bark” have already worked before. Every day at wikiHow, we work hard to give you access to instructions and information that will help you live a better life, whether it's keeping you safer, healthier, or improving your well-being. The word should also be easy to remember and used consistently, such as "speak," "bark," or "talk." If a dog wants something, the bark is usually a "happy" bark and may include the dog looking at whatever it is he/she wants. Choose your reward. For more help and advice on teaching your dog to speak, to be quiet or any other aspect of their wellbeing, have a chat with your local vet. When your dog has grasped that, continue to use your verbal command, hand signal, or a combination of both to reinforce the behavior and get your dog to consistently speak on command. Additionally, try to capture and mark only a single bark. Tether both dogs and stand in front of them so you can be ready to reward the “speaking” behavior from each dog. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. There are 33 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Initiating the “speak” command. Once your dog has mastered “Quiet”, you can start on the “Speak” … The key for owners is consistency. Furthermore, by teaching “speak” and rewarding with a command, you can modify the technique to teach your dog to “whisper” (i.e. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/a\/a6\/Teach-Your-Dog-to-Speak-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Teach-Your-Dog-to-Speak-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/a\/a6\/Teach-Your-Dog-to-Speak-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid177595-v4-728px-Teach-Your-Dog-to-Speak-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"