Joined
·
2,578 Posts
I never had trouble teaching a dog to speak. I got all excited, caused the dog to bark, and treated them when they did. Eventually they got it and spoke on command. I would "catch them in the act" of barking and treat them and say speak. This all worked fine. I thought I was not going to have a problem since Mandi has learned everything else so quickly.
I am trying to get to where I can have Mandi speak at the door when she has to go out, so I need to teach her to speak first. The only times she really barks is in the morning when I put her back in the crate when I get ready for work since everyone else is still sleeping and when she is trying to get the cat to play with her. If she is in the crate and has to go out, like overnight, she whines, but does not bark.
I dont want to reward her barking in the crate in the morning when her and I both know she does not have to go out. I also am hesitant to reward her barking at the cat, since she is usually chasing him at the same time and I dont want her to think that I am rewarding her trying to smother him with puppy slobber.
I worked on it this weekend and I think she is now convinced I am insane. I stood in front of her (my pregnant self with a fractured foot and crutches) and hopped and jumped and got all excited. I even got GOOD treats...I cooked sausage and held it out so she could smell it and knew I had something GREAT. Ya know that dog layed down and fell asleep!! I bored her with my antics!!
So I woke her up and tried again. I tried everything I could think of. I even barked at her. She looked around, embarrased, hoping no one could see her owner, who had obviously gone mad, barking and jumping and getting all excited over a hunk of sausage.
At one point she turned her head sideways and looked at me like she was very concerned for my mental health. But I never got a bark out of her.
I am trying to get to where I can have Mandi speak at the door when she has to go out, so I need to teach her to speak first. The only times she really barks is in the morning when I put her back in the crate when I get ready for work since everyone else is still sleeping and when she is trying to get the cat to play with her. If she is in the crate and has to go out, like overnight, she whines, but does not bark.
I dont want to reward her barking in the crate in the morning when her and I both know she does not have to go out. I also am hesitant to reward her barking at the cat, since she is usually chasing him at the same time and I dont want her to think that I am rewarding her trying to smother him with puppy slobber.
I worked on it this weekend and I think she is now convinced I am insane. I stood in front of her (my pregnant self with a fractured foot and crutches) and hopped and jumped and got all excited. I even got GOOD treats...I cooked sausage and held it out so she could smell it and knew I had something GREAT. Ya know that dog layed down and fell asleep!! I bored her with my antics!!
So I woke her up and tried again. I tried everything I could think of. I even barked at her. She looked around, embarrased, hoping no one could see her owner, who had obviously gone mad, barking and jumping and getting all excited over a hunk of sausage.
At one point she turned her head sideways and looked at me like she was very concerned for my mental health. But I never got a bark out of her.