How do you teach a dog to Speak?

I am at a total loss.
Prudence has the cutest bark, and I want her to have to speak to get a treat. But she refuses. Occasionally, I get her to bark at the door, but only when she's starving and I'm dawdling.
HELP?
Duckie

That is how my friend got her jack Russell to howl and he just throws his head back to the sky now and howls like nobody's business.

Good luck Duckie!

One of my dogs barks when I say "let's go CHECK" (the yard, the door, whatever.) I think it's really cute.

Oh impatient one, you must wait. She speaks at the door so you KNOW she will ultimately speak. That means you MUST use your upper brain and wait her out with patience.

Stay at the door. Wait. When she utters even the faintest whine, praise and reward.

Did I say you must have patience?

Like the gods. Wait.

When she utters a peep, THAT is when you reward. Don't be tempted by half-hearted physical, non-verbal, lurches in your direction - be cold. Wait.

You are the alpha, Prudence is the beta. Own that dynamic. Know that dynamic. Use your upper brain to assert that dynamic. Wait until she answers YOU.

Good luck.

She barks everytime I sign "dog" so I use that whenever I need her to bark. I taught her signs for animals like bird, kitty, deer, horse, rabbit, rat, etc. But she barks at "dog" sign. Funny! When she was 6 months old, one night she wouldn't eat her supper (bowl of dry food) and she wanted my chicken dinner so to humor her I signed "if you eat your food, I will give you my dinner." not expecting her to understand that much, but she ran to her "den" which was in another room and ate whole bowl and came back to me, wagging her tail as if she was saying.."see, I ate my supper, now give me your chicken dinner." I went to check to make sure bowl was empty and I was stuck so I gave her my dinner! x( I got to be careful what I say in sign language to her.

Also the other day she was sleeping by me on the deck outside and I saw deer walking by..I didn't want Shane to know there's deer walking by or she'd bark scaring it away so I used sign language to Mom "deer is here", Shane opened her eye and saw me say "deer" in sign language she perked up quickly, got up, looked and started barking.

She likes whenever I say "good girl", but she barks like she's upset when I say "good dog". LOL

I read a book "How to communicate with your dog". In that book, author says dogs couldn't follow what you point to, they follow by nose, but Shane can follow my pointing.

It's so cool to confide in someone, tell her all my secrets. ;) She is my very first dog I'd ever raised and trained and my first service dog (hearing/signal dog). She's part German Shepherd part Rott, but has an appearance of a beauceron.

are usually those who don't have dogs.

I worked with my older girl, Rosie (gone now) to teach her sign. She figured out if she didn't see what I was 'saying' she didn't have to respond. When she'd get tired or bored with the lesson, she'd turn her back and close her eyes. She was a hoot.

I would sit in front of my dog holding a small piece of ham. She would lick her lips and start to growl. When she made a sound...she could get a matchstick sized piece of meat.

In two weeks..all I had to do was say the word "Newt" and she would growl on command.

After repeating this about twenty times Sally woofed so we gave her a treat and gleefully congratulated her.
Now she responds with a soft "woof" when I ask her, "Do you want this?", as I show her a box or bag of treats, or ask her if she wants breakfast or dinner. If I have two kinds of treats I put the containers on the floor and she knocks over the one she wants.

Once she starts she may not shut up!!

A quite dog is a good dog...

Mz Pip
:dem:

it sounds like she already has the idea. When she does bark praise her for it.

...on the outside of trees....or what is on top of the house?