How to train a staffy to speak on command

Hi all how do i teach Malkie to speak on command she is only just gone 12 weeks walks great on the lead with my other cross both on 1 lead , gradually getting her to stop biting my arm because of teething now i want her to speak and before anyone says talking dog .I just want her do bark if the wife is walking her and a bunch of yobs or something happens i want the dog to warn them just by barking on command she yelps at the moment not bark the only time she will is playing tug of war with her brother she will bark and growl then when playing so any suggestions welcome thanks all

The way I did it with my Collies & Sheps was this.........

Have treats available in every room, or in your pockets. As soon as you dog barks at anything at all, praise her and give a trigger word, ie "Good girl, speak!" and give a treat. After a few times, test to see if she has made the connection - say "Speak" and see if she does. It may take a while with some dogs, because staffs are not really loud mouths!

Once she will speak on command, you'll need to get her to stop on command.

When she is barking, let her go on. Sooner or later she will stop. The instant she stops, say "Quiet, good girl!" and treat. Plenty of repetitions will get her there!

Get a handfull of treats when she has your consentration and is alert and in a sitting position say speak then try to bark yourself when she tries to imitate you give her a treat even if no sound or any sound comes out eventually she will bark to treats then try without treats for a ball and she will hopefully associate the word speak with a bark. Both my 2 know how to do it this is the way I taught them somebody else may know another way but she may be a little young its the consentration you need to master it let us know how you get on good luck

She is VERY good for her age and bright picks things up really quick 5 weeks old she would sit on command so i am trying to stimulate her all the time with different things start the young the younger the better the staffy Russell cross does it but he just done it by accident and now will do it to will poor Will

monsterness wrote:and now will do it to will poor Will

taught my dog to speak in 30min both by verbal and sign language.

I just cooked myself a good dinner that could also be fed to him and made him jealous. He started barking and when he did i put my hand near my mouth and did the sign language for speak (kinda like clapping with one hand or controlling a puppets mouth) and praised him and gave him a bit of my meal everytime. Once he realized what it meant I then attached the work 'speak'. The key is only give him a treat when he barks calmly, don't feed him if he jumps at the same time because you only enforce the BOTH actions.

I find my dog picks things up faster with a hand commandment first THEN verbal after he's got it.

I taught my dog for two reasons, 1) if they know what speak is, its easier for them to understand 'NO SPEAK' 2) He now uses his bark as a 'YES' when I ask him if he wants food, potty, or water making it much easier for both of us to communicate with each other.

hope it works out whichever way you try

Some reslly good tips and advice here. Wanted to know thismyself so will start to try t with Stanley.

Thanks every one

I haven't taught this to Suki yet but she does know the quiet command. Food is always a great motivator though.

I have been trying to get Polly to "Speak" but she hardly ever barks anyway so she just looks at me like I am an idiot, which I possibly am lol
She does "talk" when she has something in her mouth, it's not a growl more of a nag
I want to get her to talk or ask in some way when she needs to go out, if the back door is closed she just sits there until she has to go
It's not always possible to know where she is at all times in our house, as she has various places she likes to take herself off to when she wants to sleep, ie, in her cage in the kitchen or on her bed in our room, or the utility room tiled floor when she is hot.

cowboydave wrote:Some really good tips and advice here. Wanted to know this myself so will start to try t with Stanley.

Thanks every one

Love Stanley what a beautiful dog should be a film star

[quote="monsterness"]

cowboydave wrote:Some really good tips and advice here. Wanted to know this myself so will start to try t with Stanley.

Thanks every one

Love Stanley what a beautiful dog should be a film star [/quote

Thanks for that I sure he would love to be a movie star himself....... Not sure which puppy is in your profile pic but looks like a bit of a head turner as well....... Just wanted to add that I think Staffy's are the bestest dogs and every one I see on this forum are such beautiful looking puppies and dog's........

Cheers

my pup is 13 weeks and a little bitch in more ways in one but i would not swap her for the world >

monsterness wrote:my pup is 13 weeks and a little bitch in more ways in one but i would not swap her for the world >

I hear wht you are saying there, I busted Stanley chewing on the wall in the door way to the kitchen...... He only has a million toys we have bought him but would rather chew on the timber we have around the house but we got it sorted now trying out some of this spray that is ment to put them off the idea hope it works.......

[ I hear wht you are saying there, I busted Stanley chewing on the wall in the door way to the kitchen...... He only has a million toys we have bought him but would rather chew on the timber we have around the house but we got it sorted now trying out some of this spray that is ment to put them off the idea hope it works.......[/quote]

I use a similar product for Suki and it seems to work fairly well. She hates the taste and I can just show her the bottle amd she will cease. The only problem is that since she likes to chew everything and the product has to be reapplied every few days since it wears off.

i would need to but it by the petrol tanker full daily but then she would probably chew the tanker > my little darling will look at me as if to say who me