How to get your dog to say ‘I love you’
I’m not an expert dog trainer, but believe it or not, I did somehow teach my previous dog how to say ‘I love you’. Now if you heard her, you might argue whether she said “I love you” or “Raw waw waw”, but at least you wouldn’t be able to deny there were THREE syllables! Well, I’ve been trying to teach this now to Hershey, our chocolate Lab here at work. She’s been more of a challenge, however! Every morning I come into the office and we go through the same routine. I pull out the little biscuit pieces and ask her to say ‘I love you’. What I’m looking for in the beginning is a very quiet, controlled bark. That’s what is to be rewarded. After that, you can start ‘shaping’ the kind of sound that comes out. Well, right now she can’t seem to regulate anything between a loud startling bark, and an almost inaudible whine. Who know, maybe dogs vocal chords are different? Anyway, I’ve resorted to treating her for the whine, which I’m starting to get now a little more on cue. I hope to get her to whine a little louder next, and faster on cue. Then I can start shaping a double syllable.
Little by little, and lots of patience. I’ll keep you updated!
There is a book that tells you how to train your dog to talk. I taught my Chinese crested how to copy the sounds I made but never got to finish a complete sentance as he was a rescue and found his forever home before I finished training it. One of the things it says is not to use food, instead use other things like smiling, pets, applause, etc. Just encourage your dog to make any unldoglike sounds….I would ignore my dog for a good long while before doing this training, then lavish attention on him when he makes any unusual sounds. Name of book: how to teach you dog to talk Author Captain Haggerty.
That is so cool. I can’t wait to hear more updates about this and see a video of her doing it someday! I would try it with my dog, but she’s already so verbal as it is, I don’t know if I want her saying anything more! 🙂
That’s a great idea, about the video! Now I really hope I can do it! She did better yesterday for pizza crusts (we had a pizza party here at work), so I might have to change her snacks. Anyway, about your own verbal doggy, it actually might help tone down her chattiness if you do try and teach her to speak or make sounds on command. Sort of reverse psychology. By being treated for barking or talking, she might learn to wait for a ‘cue’ from you first. Just a thought! 🙂