# how do you teach a dog to "speak"?



## GermanShepherds (Mar 18, 2013)

i have always wondered how you teach a dog to speak on command and i'm just curious on how you do it?


----------



## Packen (Sep 14, 2008)

One way is to find the dog's motivator whether it is food or toy. Then place the said motivator on the ground and hold the dog back just out of reach. Dog will try several ways to get to the object, out of frustration dog will bark, you mark and release. 

Repeat many times and when dog begins to offer the bark the minute you set him up that means he now understands the game. Now you add a command to it. Change position of object, different environments, you holding it and what not. You can bring other OB into it as well, command, bark bark bark, SIT, dog sit's you release for reward. Possibilities are endless


----------



## brebrehj (Jan 18, 2013)

My sister and I figured out the trick with my Thor. When ever she asks her dog Roscoe "wanna sing", he will howl. Thor too would try to howl along with his buddy, comes out as your typical "talking" sounds. It has taken us a few weeks several times a day but he's getting to the point where all I have to say is "wanna sing?" And he'll start his grumble talking. Thats what worked for Thor....it was kind of a fluke figuring it out. 
How others get their dogs to say mama or no is beyond me
Unless you're talking about barking....I got my last dog to do it. Every time she would start her yappy barking I would get her attention and just say speak with a specific hand movement. She caught on eventually that's what worked for her. 
Every dog is different. I cant get my gsd's to bark on command to save my life

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## mightyschwartz (Aug 12, 2013)

I used a treat to do this. I would let her see it while sitting and then put it behind my back. She would bark and now I can tell her to speak and she'll do it. However, she will sometimes do it out of frustration for other stuff so I kind of wish I hadn't done that.


----------



## ken k (Apr 3, 2006)

after you teach "speak", then you can teach "air bark"


YouTube


----------



## Karla (Dec 14, 2010)

Awwwww......video is private.


----------



## ken k (Apr 3, 2006)

oopps try this

YouTube


----------



## Switchblade906 (May 5, 2012)

Packen said:


> One way is to find the dog's motivator whether it is food or toy. Then place the said motivator on the ground and hold the dog back just out of reach. Dog will try several ways to get to the object, out of frustration dog will bark, you mark and release.
> 
> Repeat many times and when dog begins to offer the bark the minute you set him up that means he now understands the game. Now you add a command to it. Change position of object, different environments, you holding it and what not. You can bring other OB into it as well, command, bark bark bark, SIT, dog sit's you release for reward. Possibilities are endless


im trying this right now but it doesn't seem like its working. She just gets tired of waiting and walks away..


----------



## NTexFoster (Jul 18, 2013)

Depending upon the language RosettaStone is pretty good. Kaiser has started learning Spanish so he can bark properly at the yard crew who does my lawn.


----------



## Sergeantsays (Jul 6, 2013)

If your dog barks at anything, mailman, doorbell then praise and say the word you want to associate. Bark or whatever. Eventally they put the word with the bark and will do it on command. Then praise big. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## KayDub (May 4, 2014)

I have a similar question. I have an Australian shepherd who is very intelligent. I got my GSD at 4wksold when her mother came down with milk fever. I think she has caught onto things very well being around my other dog. So I decided to teach her to speak she's only 2 months old and is speaking on command very well. I'm wondering how people work with GSD to sound out words slightly. She sometimes accidentally does it of course. So any advice I often ask her to say momma and she barks or groans should I just keep on with this?


----------



## Whitefang3 (Jun 12, 2013)

Your issue maybe be that she confuses the command word with something you use while having a conversation.


----------



## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

NTexFoster said:


> Depending upon the language RosettaStone is pretty good. Kaiser has started learning Spanish so he can bark properly at the yard crew who does my lawn.


I have read about this before and didn't know if it was legitimate...I'm on board now after your testimony.

Rosetta Stone, you say...hmmmmmm.


SuperG


----------



## misslesleedavis1 (Dec 5, 2013)

I spent a long time in the basement going "say woof" lol I would post a vid but you know...I look insane.

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------

