How to teach a stubborn dog to speak?

[lv4dogs]

Whenever he barks, give him a treat and say "good speak!!" and get very excited. Whether he's barking at the neighbor's cat, television, or just playing, anytime you're near and he barks give a treat and make sure to say "good speak!" every time! Eventually he'll start to associate "speak" with barking.

Even if I don't tell him to speak first?

[Jessika]

Yes, even if you don't tell him to speak first. This way he will be able to associate the word "speak" with barking.

It's the same concept as if I'm trying to teach my pup "bring". I can't MAKE her bring me the toy without doing it myself, and then I'm just confusing her more, and she's not learning anything. But if I say "GOOD BRING!!" and act stupidly excited when she just walks in my direction with a toy in her mouth, she will start to associate "bring" with bringing toys to me.

[lv4dogs]

Yes, even if you don't tell him to speak first. This way he will be able to associate the word "speak" with barking.

It's the same concept as if I'm trying to teach my pup "bring". I can't MAKE her bring me the toy without doing it myself, and then I'm just confusing her more, and she's not learning anything. But if I say "GOOD BRING!!" and act stupidly excited when she just walks in my direction with a toy in her mouth, she will start to associate "bring" with bringing toys to me.

I can understand doing that technique for some commands (like bring) but I have always been leary of using it for certain commands (like speak) but I tried it last night anyways. I may give it 1 more day but it seems as if it is making it worse just like I thought.
Since he only barks when he is playing with the other dogs I think he is associating speak with speak & play and LOTS of it. He is really barking out of control now and playing very hyperly. I think I am kind of cofusing him, he doesn't really know if he's getting praised for playing or barking or both, not only that but he's also getting praised for barking when NOT told to do so.

Thanks for the idea though. It was worth a shot.

[ParNone]

I may be misreading this, but it sounds more like your goal is to be able to get him to be quiet, when he's barking too much. And it sounds like that you're almost there on quiet. When you talk to him, he stops barking to look at you. So I would forget Speak and work on Quiet. When he's barking non-stop, say "Quiet", then when he looks at you and stops barking, give him a treat. Gradually increase the quiet time before he gets the treat. You want to make sure there's enough of a delay that he knows he's getting rewarded for quiet, not barking.

Par...

[lv4dogs]

I may be misreading this, but it sounds more like your goal is to be able to get him to be quiet, when he's barking too much. And it sounds like that you're almost there on quiet. When you talk to him, he stops barking to look at you. So I would forget Speak and work on Quiet. When he's barking non-stop, say "Quiet", then when he looks at you and stops barking, give him a treat. Gradually increase the quiet time before he gets the treat. You want to make sure there's enough of a delay that he knows he's getting rewarded for quiet, not barking.

Par...

Well yeah that is part of my goal. My goal is divided into 3 parts all of which are kind of related to each other as far as the reason for teaching the speak command. To teach him when the proper times to bark are, to teach him to be quiet at times & to teach him how to speak just for a cute trick.

I swear he's backwards. I tell him to speak he shuts up & looks at me I tell him to be quiet he just carries on. I've tried other words too like SHHh, soft, easy etc... none of those words get his attention.
It's like he knows that speak means he gets a treat if he does it right but he can't figure it out... yet anyways.

I've been keeping him on a leash in the house so I can distract & redirect him easier and it works but not for long.
He barks constantly when he plays with other dogs & I can't deny him to play with other dogs. I don't mind it cause it's only like twice a day, but it happens early in the morning & although they haven't said anything I'm sure my neighbors don't like that. I can hear him loud & clear outside I know they can too.

[Jessika]

WELL if he is quiet when you say "speak", then have "speak" be the command to make him quiet!!

Dogs don't know english and just know to associate a sound (or a word to us, since we DO speak english) with an action. lol. Just because you say "sit!" doesn't mean the dog will sit there and think "oh, sit means put my behind on the ground, ok!". I mean you could teach your dog that "sit" really means to fetch, "lay down" means to speak, "speak" means to sit, etc. They're just sounds to them

[lv4dogs]

WELL if he is quiet when you say "speak", then have "speak" be the command to make him quiet!!

Dogs don't know english and just know to associate a sound (or a word to us, since we DO speak english) with an action. lol. Just because you say "sit!" doesn't mean the dog will sit there and think "oh, sit means put my behind on the ground, ok!". I mean you could teach your dog that "sit" really means to fetch, "lay down" means to speak, "speak" means to sit, etc. They're just sounds to them

I was thinking of that but with multiple dogs who already know the commands it would be very confusing. I say Speak, Kaige shuts up but Nanook barks.

Besides I say what I mean therefore I wouldn't remember to say speak when I mean for them to be quiet etc.... I'd be confused too.

Besides god forbid but if anything happens to me & he needs to go to another home if I were to train him like that and no one else knew, he'd probably have a hard time finding another home because everyone would think that he is not trained because he isn't listening to the commands. (not saying that I would do that for every command)