Training Your Dog How to “Speak”!

Are you looking for a fun trick to teach your four-legged friend? We have great news! Teaching your dog to speak on command is fun and valuable. You won’t be disappointed with this entertaining trick as it tends to be a huge hit with friends and family. Continue reading on to get started!

The first part of training your dog to “speak” is to have a treat in hand when your dog barks. The idea is that once your dog barks, you are quickly prepared to mark the behavior with a command and a reward. Now comes the fun part. This step will be more straightforward for some dog owners compared to others. If you already have a vocal dog, this may be easier! If not, you may be required to put in some additional effort.

Remember that you should only reward your dog for barking when you ask them to bark. Try to capture and mark only a single bark. The last thing you want your dog to think is that “speak” means barking for long periods. Be mindful of your neighbors as well. You wouldn’t want to do this training when your neighbors may be in bed.

“Speak” is often used as a simple, fun trick to show off to friends and family, but there is so much more that you can do with it! You can train your dog to speak to let you know they need to go outside to potty. You can add a hand signal if you want to add some advanced elements to the training. A commonly used hand signal for “speak” starts with an open hand, palm facing the dog, then repeatedly closing your four fingers against your thumb.

It will take a lot of consistency and patience for your dog to learn this new trick. The most important thing is to have fun with it! Once your dog masters this trick, they can learn something new. Your friends and family will be amazed at what your four-legged friend can do!