# Speaking is not a Nuisance



## ArmyGSD (Apr 27, 2009)

I want to teach my dog to speak, but every trainer I have ever had refuses to teach this skill, because it is concieved as a nuisance. How should I efectively go about training my GSD to speak, and not just bark.


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## Zisso (Mar 20, 2009)

I never managed to teach 'speak' but I did teach one of my dogs to 'whisper'- kind of a quiet mummble- if you can teach them to be quiet-wish I could remember how I did it, he was good at it


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## AmandaK (Apr 2, 2009)

Our trainers insist that to teach a dog 'quiet' you must teach a dog 'bark'.

I haven't really worked on it with our girls because they did get the idea of quiet without the bark cue first.


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## bergwanderkennels (Mar 26, 2009)

First teach bark then fine tune it to a softer speak to where they grumble.


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## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

I don't understand why any trainer would feel that barking on command would be a nuisance - I mean, it is just "on command" with (ideally) no barking otherwise.

My GSD Abby doesn't bark normally unless she's really excited (like when herding), and we had the hardest time teaching her to speak on command, but we eventually did. That does not make her a nuisance. It just means she'll give me a nice bark if I ask for it. 

The way we taught it was to find something that really excited her and encouraged her to bark, then clicked and treated for a bark. Repeat until the word ("bark" or "speak" or whatever) gets you a bark.


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## ArmyGSD (Apr 27, 2009)

Great tips thanks everyone. I'll start implanting this command ASAP. So then maybe I can get him to do a dual quiet and then a speak.


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## sam the sheperd (Jan 11, 2009)

I taught Sam "giblaut" at about 6-7 weeks. I "woofed" like a dog then issued the command. Took about 5 times or so, then rewarded with a treat. A downside is that she likes to use it a little more than I like







.


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## ArmyGSD (Apr 27, 2009)

Sampson was the same way. Mom and pop trained him, so I could of asked them, but we are never on the same schedule, so I turned to my 2nd family....YOU GUYS...<3


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## bergwanderkennels (Mar 26, 2009)




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## adas (Nov 22, 2008)

Aloha, going to the doggy park area here and Petco, I think trainers have their hands full just getting the dogs to shut up for their very appreciative owners. I don't think owners in their wildest imagination would ever think their dog could bark or quiet "on command". really an easy thinkg for a GSD<g>

Frank


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## meisha98 (Aug 27, 2008)

I've tried to get Lainey to speak and she won't do it on command. She will bark in times it's expected. Weird!


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