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The way people train their dogs to 'speak' is driving me crazy
I hang out at the dog park near my place in Austin a lot, and I keep seeing folks teach their dogs to bark on command by saying 'speak' over and over while the dog is already barking. That's not teaching them a cue, that's just saying a word while the dog is already doing the thing. I taught my pit mix Hazel to bark on command in about 3 days by waiting for a quiet moment, saying 'speak' once, and then tickling her ear until she let out a little woof. Then I rewarded that. Now she does it clean every time. But these people at the park just hype their dogs up into a frenzy and call it training. Then they wonder why their dog won't stop barking at the mailman. Has anyone else noticed this or am I just being picky?
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scott.drew26d ago
Oh man, I feel this one. Watching someone yell "SPEAK SPEAK SPEAK" at a dog that's already barking is like trying to teach a cat to fetch by throwing the toy when it's already asleep. It's just noise. I saw a lady at our dog park last week holding a treat above her husky's head screaming "speak" while it was jumping and howling like a maniac. She was real proud too. Meanwhile my little mutt learned the whole thing from me just whispering the word once and waiting for a quiet grunt. Makes me wonder if these folks think dogs understand English or if they just like hearing themselves holler.
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benclark26d ago
I gotta push back a little here. You said the lady with the husky was "real proud" but maybe she should be. Not every dog learns the same way, and not every owner cares about a perfect clean cue. Some folks just want a fun party trick for their backyard, not a precision behavior. My neighbor's golden retriever learned "speak" from being hyped up and he's a happy, well adjusted dog who stops barking when told. Also that ear tickling method might work for a calm pit mix but try that with a high strung border collie and you'll get bit. Different dogs, different owners, different goals. Your way isn't the only right way.
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