Getting a dog to speak, or bark, on command is a fun, crowd-pleasing trick. But it isn't just a silly behavior: One of the practical benefits of teaching your dog to bark on cue is that you can then teach him to stop barking on cue. It may seem challenging at first, but teaching a boxer to speak is moderately easy. To train your boxer to speak on command, harness his natural inclination to bark.
Teach Your Boxer to Speak
Step 1
Identify what triggers your boxer to bark naturally. For many dogs this is the ringing of the doorbell or a knock on the front door.
Step 2
Get your dog to bark by triggering what causes him to bark. For example, ring the doorbell.
Step 3
As your dog barks, give him praise with the speak cue - say, for example, "good speak" - and simultaneously give him a dog treat.
Step 4
Repeat these steps several times a day for several days in a row. Some dogs who are naturally inclined to bark will catch on quickly, while other dogs will take weeks of repetition.
References
Tips
- Keep individual training sessions to five to 10 minutes to keep your dog's attention.
Warnings
- Some dogs may become overzealous in their barking. In that case, simply ignore the dog for barking unless you specifically ask for the speak command. Only reward him when your dog barks on cue.