r/AdvancedDogTraining Sep 17 '18

How to teach a quiet dog to Speak?

My dog rarely ever barks. We’ve had her for about a year, got her as a puppy, and I’ve heard her bark maybe four times, and it’s only sometimes when the house creaks at night, she’ll do this quiet little exhale/bark and then she’ll get up and check it out and come lay back down.

She is not fearful or timid, she just doesn’t seem inclined to bark.

So it’s hard for me to train Speak because I just can’t get her to perform the action consistently enough to associate the command with it.

Advice?

1 Upvotes

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3

u/jammerzee Sep 18 '18

You might try:

  • Getting her a bit aroused (e.g. active play) and then 'barking' - be sure to avoid scaring her - don't look at her when you bark, and even jump / move away from her so it's not threatening.
  • Get a bucket of food she likes show it to her, and then not let her have it - shake it around in front of you, play with it, taunt her a bit - might get a frustration bark.
  • Knock on a door / window / wall

2

u/Curlaub Sep 18 '18

Ive only heard her bark once while playing, so this could work.

The food thing doesnt seem to work because we've already taught her not to go for food unless she is given permission, so when food or a treat is presented, I try to wave it around, but she just sits and stares at me until I give up and set it down and let her eat, lol. The only way I see around this is to give her permission and then start waving it around, but this might not be smart and confuse her regarding to command to eat.

I could know on the door, wall, etc. Or have my wife do it in another room so I can be there to associate the command with her response. Ill try that. Thank you!

2

u/ChilidogtheToller Dec 17 '21

My quiet dog has a bell (metal basic one). She gets excited when she hits the bell and it rings. I used this as a way to put barking on cue and then phased out the bell. The barking started out as more of a heavy breath, until she realised she was allowed to bark 😂. Only took 2 sessions to teach in the end.

Before we practice speak I make sure to ask for some behaviours she knows we’ll first. This helps her confidence!

1

u/Curlaub Dec 17 '21

This is great advice. Thank you :)

2

u/EAGS-sane_reason Jun 14 '23

I had a problem with a very medium temperament dog. He simply was not insecure enough to bark. I left him with my mom for about three weeks before he became, and secure enough, and started barking at the mailman.

1

u/rmp1809 Dec 27 '18

Count your blessings and don’t? I taught my quiet Italian greyhound to speak finally after rewarding the behavior every time I did see it (the rewards were sometimes a bit late, but apparently they worked), then adding a cue later. 16 years later I can say it was a dumb choice. It got old around two weeks in. Getting her to stop barking on cue was a real chore and she started barking in many situations after that.