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Teaching Your Dog "Speak"
1. Have yummy treats ready. Remember, a yummy treat is a small bit of meat or cheese; something that your dog does not normally receive. The yummier it is, the more your dog will be willing to work for it.
2. What sort of things make your dog bark or whine in a funny way? Do whatever it takes to make your dog speak, then treat him and praise him immediately. You might try having someone knock on the door or ring the doorbell, or dance around and act silly.
3. Make sure you praise and treat your dog as soon as he barks or makes the noise you want. You may have to ring the doorbell (or whatever you did) several times until he figures out that making noise = treat.
4. After 5 or 6 tries, quit and go do something fun with your dog. Return to teaching the trick after a few hours, or the next day. (Ending teaching sessions while the dog is still interested in the training is much more effective because it keeps the dog interested, and he will be more likely to want to return to training.)
5. The next time you are ready to try, say "speak" just BEFORE you ring the doorbell or whatever, then praise and treat when he makes noise. After you can get noise from him by saying "speak" only, add a hand signal.
6. Many dogs enjoy this trick, and may not want to shut up. After your dog understands that speak=bark, ONLY TREAT AND PRAISE YOUR DOG FOR BARKING IF YOU ASKED HIM TO; IF HE CONTINUES TO BARK, IGNORE HIM. Do not reward barking that you did not ask for.
With lots of practice, your pooch will be speaking like a pro!
Note: It is a good idea to teach "quiet," too, so that your dog knows when to stop barking. As your dog is barking, say "quiet," and wait he until stops making noise--it may take a minute or so. Praise him and treat the silence. Repeat this until he understands. Soon he will understand that "quiet" = treat, too!
Good luck! Tell us how it goes! Call 404.974.2899, or send us a picture of your pooch doing his trick.