On another thread, I mentioned that sometimes I like to set something up before a training session in my mind.

In this session, I am going to teach NAME OF DOG ______________ (behavior) and I am going to do it with/without _____________ (technique).

Dog's reaction: _____________________________ (e.g., was stressed, loved it, did not do it, etc)

Anyone want to try one?

Like I tried to teach Rocco a wordless, motionless down, just using our "connection" and my eyes looking down. This is not something I am going to proof! But it was fun to try it and he got it. There were no corrections of course, and he was not stressed (from what I could tell) by not knowing what I was asking for at first.

Granted, another time it might be something like I am going to teach something without getting aggravated because it's something that seems to have that effect on me!

I'll play.

This is my biggest stumbling block with Rosa. She just doesn't know what I want her to do, and it stresses her out.

"I want to teach Rosa to Say Woof, and I am going to do it without using treats." So I try to catch her when she's vocalizing, and I'll say "Say Woof, good girl!!, Good Woof!" at which point she stops and looks at me, kind of worried-like. So then I will have Niko Say Woof for me (and he gets praise or treats) thinking that she can see Niko do it and get what I want her to do, and then I try again with Rosa... "Say Woof" and she looks at me. Her tail droops and her ears go back. "Say Woof!" Lip lick, looks away, off to sniff... At which point I give up, ask her for a different behavior and we end it. I'm doing something wrong here, obviously. And she won't say woof for treats either. Same result. I never correct her of course, and I don't even really care that she hasn't learned this yet, so I don't think it is me that is stressing her out. I must have somehow taught her that when I get on my "Say Woof" kick, if she just waits me out she'll eventually get asked to do something else and then she will get her reward.

Huh.

She won't do it for treats either?

You may not be doing something wrong. I have known other dogs that will not speak on command. I wonder what they are thinking? Is it a trap?

Meanwhile, her brother won't shut up.

Anyone have any thoughts?

Dakota & Angelo never would bark on command for me either. Whenever I tried to teach them they would try different things begging, sit. I taught Mikko somewhere in his 1st yr here so he would always give a bark for them like it's a ventriliquist act!! It always makes me laugh I'm like you though, I never cared if they learned it or not. I did use treats though.

I finally taught Dante "Tell me about it" by frustrating him with a toy

Rosa is not a really bark-y dog, not compared to Niko. The only things that make her bark are
1. playing with Niko (snarky-griping barks),
2. Noises that she can't identify coming from outside when she's in the house (like ATVs or airplanes),
3. When Don asks her "Do you see this???" and he shows her random things like his cell phone or a tape measure or a book. Then she'll start play bowing and hopping and barking.
4. Sometimes if she gets particularly frustrated at us for not doing what she wants.
5. Visitors driving up

I tried again today. We were coming back from our walk, I let her off leash and gave her permission to run off. I called her back and gave her a treat. We did this a few times, trying to set the mood for fun and happy. Then I pulled my cell phone out and did exactly what Don does in the house, I asked her "Do you see this??" and showed her the phone. She got all play-bowing and hippity hopping and then got CRAZY zoomies!!! But not a single sound out of her. Maybe the secret is doing it in the house?

I think you are right Jean, she thinks it's a trap!! Maybe she's been told to be quiet in the house enough times that she is thinking any barking is bad? It's not like we correct her for barking unless it's being really rude or if there is no reason for her barking (that sound reactivity thing). She will offer up other behaviors if she knows there is food involved, but never a bark.

She even treed a squirrel today, and was trying to climb the tree and still never made a sound. If that had been Niko you would have heard his excited shrieking for miles!

Rosa!! Maybe Rocco got all the communication skills?
She's the opposite of all talk no action!

Well shut my mouth and call me Sally, I think I just taught Rosa to Say Woof!!!! In like, two minutes!! Don took Niko out to check on the chickens and I grabbed my phone and told her Say Woof and chased her a little bit with the phone and she barked a little bit and I said YES!!! and gave her a Buddy Biscuit. A few more times YES!!, Treat, then I put the phone down and we did some sits and downs and shakes, and then I said Say Woof and SHE DID IT!!! I don't know if she really has it learned yet, and I didn't want to make her do it until she got bored, so we stopped and she is enjoying the last Bully Stick as a reward for indulging me.

I'll try it some more tomorrow, we'll see if it works.

Sorry for the thread hijack Jean!

Don't you just love it when they indulge you! You feel like they should pat you on the head and tell you to go be a good girl now!

YAY SALLY! Not a hijack! Perhaps you will be the first of many to have amazing fill in the blanks.

Rosa was quiet as a puppy too. She communicated with her face. Rocco, did I say he likes to bark? Yeah, he did as a puppy too. I have never tried to teach him to speak, come to think of it. Maybe I should too.