How do I get my puppy be more vocal?

[sfeliz]

Hello my name is Sonia, my baby Tyson is 8 mths old next week (Feb. 5th) and he is such a great dog and house training was not that bad, however I was hoping to learn how to get Tyson to be more vocal when he needs to go outside to do his business.
Currently we need to keep a constant eye on him, he normally goes to the back door and sits there waiting for someone to let him out, if we are not paying attention and we don't see him there, he unfortunately will pee by the door.
Does anyone have any ideas how to teach him to bark or moan or something to get our attention when he needs to go out.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Sonia

 

[aeroeck]

My Presley was just like that when we first got him. I am sure he thought he was giving us signals, but we couldn't catch them because he wasn't vocal. We tried the bell at the back door, didn't work. What I noticed now though, was giving him a cookie each time he pee'd outback. In doing so, he now comes up to us when he has to pee, and puts his paw on our arm.

At first we thought this meant he wanted to play, or he was just looking for affection. However, we realized each time he pee'd in the house, he had given us the signal before hand. I think he knows if he goes and pee's outside, he will get a cookie.

Try it out. It is very frustrating, but it will eventually work out!

Brian, Sarah and Presley!

 

[StellaCT]

Hi! We hung a bell the door that she uses to go out and she will hit it with her paw when she needs to go out. Our pup is 6 months old and she has been reliable with the bell since about 4 months old. It took a few weeks for her to get the concept but everytime we took her out we lifted her paw and touched the bell then said "go out, go potty" and it totally worked!! She usually hits it so hard, we can hear it all over the house..and if we dont respond fast enough, she does it again!! We dont let her go out to play when she rings it, so she's learned that she only goes out to do her business then come right back in.

I love that bell! It looks like a long strip of ribbon with a loop on top to hang on the door knob and jingle bells down the ribbon. We got it at a pet show but you can make one really easily.

 

[LILYLARUE]

The bells are a wonderful tool if the dog responds to it. If you want to teach him to bark, then the first thing you need to do is teach him to speak. That's when you have to get silly right along with him.

I held a treat to her nose, so she knew what the reward was. Then I held it to my mouth while saying "speak" then giving a gentle bark. I'd look at her and say "Lily, speak" and of course she would just look at me funny. It took a few times, then she would bark out of frustration. As soon as she did, treat to her mouth and said "Good speak, Lily". After about a week, she barked on command.

After a few weeks of barking on command - when it was time to go out, I would make her sit at the door and make her speak, then right outside to pee. As soon as she pee'd, then the immediate treat! She picked up pretty quick. Now, she is totally on cue, even if she doesn't have to pee and just wants to go out.

One thing I will suggest, as with any rewards while housetraining, give the treat immediately after the action. Don't wait to go back into the house cause they may only associate going in with the treat, not the peeing that they did moments before. They have a short memory, so treat the action right away or they will associate another action to the reward.

 

[XTNa]

If you want to teach him to bark, then the first thing you need to do is teach him to speak. That's when you have to get silly right along with him.

I held a treat to her nose, so she knew what the reward was. Then I held it to my mouth while saying "speak" then giving a gentle bark. I'd look at her and say "Lily, speak" and of course she would just look at me funny. It took a few times, then she would bark out of frustration. As soon as she did, treat to her mouth and said "Good speak, Lily". After about a week, she barked on command.

What would you recommend for a dog that's naturally very quiet? Atlas is now two, but after hearing some puppy play barks at 3 or 4 months of age, we didn't hear him bark again until he was a little over a year old--usually when he thought there was a threat at the door--and even then it was only a bark or two, so it was difficult to catch and reward at the right time without him getting distracted. At this point, he really only barks at the dog park, and even then it's only at dogs he believes are behaving inappropriately. :rolleyes:

I just tried your method above on and off for about 40 minutes, and got only strange looks and the occasional yawn for my troubles. :confused:

Thanks for your input.

 

[Please Work]

I read on another post that someone put their dogs food in the crate and shut it so they couldn't get to it, dog then started barking in frustration and they gave the speak command followed by a treat. It's worth a try.

 

[ehayes21]

Honestly, some dogs never learn to let you know when they need out. IMHO they shouldn't have to. You should be the one who anticipates their needs and let them out on a regular schedule so you don't have to rely on them telling you.

 

[Box Boys]

I just tried your method above on and off for about 40 minutes, and got only strange looks and the occasional yawn for my troubles. :confused:

That is hilarious!

Buster never let us know when he needed to go out either. He would do a great job at "sitting" at the back door...but if we weren't in the same room, he might go inside. He now does scratch at the door or will come over and let out a little whine...and I immediately let him out. I never tried the bell, but had intended to give that a try. Just never got around to it.

Good luck!

BTW...Tyson and Buster have very close birthdays - Buster will be 8 months old on February 6th.

 

[Caney Creek]

What would you recommend for a dog that's naturally very quiet? Atlas is now two, but after hearing some puppy play barks at 3 or 4 months of age, we didn't hear him bark again until he was a little over a year old--usually when he thought there was a threat at the door--and even then it was only a bark or two, so it was difficult to catch and reward at the right time without him getting distracted. At this point, he really only barks at the dog park, and even then it's only at dogs he believes are behaving inappropriately. :rolleyes:

I just tried your method above on and off for about 40 minutes, and got only strange looks and the occasional yawn for my troubles. :confused:

Thanks for your input.

You have to find something that makes him bark.

I tried for weeks trying to teach Caney to "speak" with no success. Then one day we were playing with the air can (a can of compressed air used for cleaning electronics; she loves to "fight" with it ) and every time I sprayed her with air, she barked. Then it occurred to me that I could say "speak" at the same time that I sprayed the air, and she would bark. After doing that for a few minutes, I then told her "speak" without any help from the air... and she barked!

 

[XTNa]

Oh, Atlas never has problems telling us when he needs to go. Usually he doesn't have to let us know since we're on a schedule he's comfortable with, but when he does, he sits by us, makes eye contact and then simply grunts. And grunts. and grunts. Occasionally he'll also nudge us with a paw. :D

I'm just interested in getting ideas for teaching the "speak" command, since, obviously, he is NOT getting it, and my poor neighbors must think I keep a pack of random dogs in my bedroom. (I sound like a different breed of small, yip-yap dog every time I "bark," for some reason--maybe that's why he gets confused!)