awesome, useful trick

**stacwase** · 09-12-2003, 12:21 PM

Max learned a trick that's really going to come in handy! Whenever I whisper to him to "hush" he barks or growls! I taught him that so that whenever anybody I don't want to talk to approaches me, I can just pretend like I'm calming Max down. That will cause him to bark all the more ferociously and then I can just say "Sorry - I can't talk now. I don't know what's gotten into this dog." It will be especially useful with men who make me feel uncomfortable, but with whom I don't want to be openly rude.

When I got him he already knew "Speak" so I just started saying "Shhhhhhpeak". When he got used to that I just whispering "Shhhhhh" and then "hushhhhhh". Now when I whisper at all he'll bark.

What do you think? He's so smart.

**binka_nugget** · 09-12-2003, 01:44 PM

very useful

**delceys_maddogs** · 09-12-2003, 01:50 PM

I wish one of my dogs would do that!
One of the Dogues preferably! the two GSD's are going deaf and blind so there no use now lol!!
How would u teach it?? plz
Delcey

**slleipnir** · 09-12-2003, 01:59 PM

lol, I've been wanting to teach that to Jo but could never think of a command to use

Good stuff

**stacwase** · 09-12-2003, 02:03 PM

You know - since he already new "speak" when I got him, it wasn't hard to just change the command I use to make him do it. I explained how to change the wording in the first post. But truthfully, I'm not very good at all at training dogs. I don't know if I could have taught him "speak" if he hadn't already known it.

I brought him on a walk in the park today and tried to get him to do it while he was being distracted. He wouldn't do it just when I whispered "shhhhh". I had to go back to saying "shhhhhhpeak". When he starts doing that dependably with distractions, we'll work our way back up to doing it whenever I whisper.

**Tonya** · 09-12-2003, 02:09 PM

That is a great trick.

**Kfamr** · 09-12-2003, 03:24 PM

It could come in handy but what if you really want the dog to hush!

**rizzy** · 09-12-2003, 04:04 PM

LOL! that is funny!

I wish my dog knew that trick. How cool! I think you could teach your dog speak by waiting for him to bark at somthing and then say SPEAK, and reward him. or her. then after awhile wouldnt he learn that speak means to bark? I dont know. Well thanks for sharing this is like the coolest trick!

**stacwase** · 09-12-2003, 05:14 PM

I guess if I really want him to hush, I'll have to speak more loudly and say "stop!" or "no!". Pretty soon he'll probably start barking whenever I whisper.

Rizzy, I believe that is the way to teach "speak". I haven't had any luck teaching it to Jake, though. Maybe I'm just not being persistent enough.