tricks

Question
how do i teach my dog to speak?

Answer
Well, Evie, you may or may not be able to do it depending on your dog. Is your dog a natural barker? One of my dogs is, and the other is not. The one that is a natural barker learned the speak command within a few minutes. I've never been able to teach my other dog to bark on command.

The easiest way to teach the speak command is to wait until your dog is already barking at something. Then, say whatever word you want to use as the command ("speak," or "bark," or whatever) immediately followed by praise ("Good speak! Good boy! Speak! Good boy! Good speak!"). Toss or offer him a treat to get his attention away from whatever he's barking at. Repeat.

Another way is if your dog will bark at you to get you to throw a toy, just simply give the command before he barks, then praise him and throw the toy. This is how I taught my one dog to speak.


Good luck and let me know if there's anything else I can help you with!

Kristen