How can I teach my rottweiler

[WhenEnoughIsEnough]

To lay? And speak?

He is 12 months in 2 weeks and he is such a good boy (most of the time) he has been brilliant to train and does all the other commands we have taught him and he picked them really easily but I cannot for the life of me teach him lay or speak.

I have tried techniques from books and from the internet to no avail.

Anyone got any advice or tried and tested ways?

I couldn't say Lay, or Lie Down to my mutt, it had to be a short sharp "Down" and then a treat (first few times I pushed her over then praised and treated her, then she just got it).

To speak I would say "What do you say?" and "Ruff" myself! I gave myself chocolate buttons though, not biscuits.

exLtEveDallas I can't use down as the command as we already use down for when he's jumping up.

I have tried juat pushing him down but as a puppy he never picked it up amd now he weighs 43kg he's a bit harder impossibleto push over.

My old rottie learned it by using the sit position first but this one is impossible.

What techniques have you tried?

Does he lie down on his own from choice?

Ah bugger. With the Rott Dog I would tap the floor in front of her and pull one of her legs forward, but it was a very long process (she was a rescue mutt, came to me at 2 and was ridiculously hard to train). She got there in the end though, but it took a lot of treats. I think I remember lying down with her as well, and praising her when she did.

Vallahalagonebutnotforgotten

The main technique I have used is making him sit and then having a treat in my hand putting it at eye level and then slowly bringing it down and away from him whilst saying lay. He just stares at me though and moves his head down but not his body.

I have briefly tries other things but none of them really provoked any reaction in him at all.

With trying to teach him to speak/bark on command. I have tried every time he barks saying speak and then rewarding him but not sure that's the right thing to do and whenever I say speak he again just stares at me like I have 3 heads.

And yes he will lie down of his own choice he spends alot of time laid on the floor with the children.

exLtEveDallas I suppose I could try to get him to give paw first amd then gently pull his paw that remains on the floor towards me and then when he is nearly down say lay and reward him. That's given me food for thought.

ok have him sitting but start with treat by his nose,not eyes, then bring the treat down and back towards his chest.

If he does not move the treat is too far from his nose.

Re speak when does he bark?

Vallahalagonebutnotfogotten

Thanks for that I will try it.

This is the difficult one he only really barks when people walk past the house or knock on the door and I think I spent so many times telling him to be quiet and the people by the window won't hurt you that I've shot myself in the foot because now if I rewards him I think he's associating it with barking at the people instead of for the actual barking.

Think carefully if you do want him to bark on command as it will increase the amount of barking he does!

I would get a family member to go outside and bang on the door when he barks, give the command speak and reward him BUT you may regret it

Speak is a hard one because they’re not usually a very vocal breed.

Is he clicker trained? That’s quite good for stuff like that because they get used to having to work out what the reward is for.

So you can click and treat for lying in the position you want, or barking, then when they realise what it is you’re trying to get them to do, you give it a command.

Yeah that is very true. I did have a thread a little while ago about his incessant barking and a poster recommended I teach him speak so that he only barks on command.

This is why I wanted to teach him to do it as he still barks every time someone walks past the window and unfortunately there a no way that I can obscure his view anymore other than keeping the curtains closed.

I would reward the down in stages so first reward if he points his nose to follow the food down, then reward when he puts his nose down towards his chest and begins to bend at the shoulders, the reward when he moves his front feet forward etc.

So break it down for him.

“Think carefully if you do want him to bark on command as it will increase the amount of barking he does!”

Mine barks on command, took ages because he barks so rarely... still doesn’t unless you tell him to

Ok I would say don't use any techniques that require you to manhandle your dog e.g. pushing or pulling them around. It's bad for a dog owner relationship and isn't that pleasant for the dog which could lead to problems later on.

You could use situational learning, so whenever you notice him laying down naturally just quickly say lay and give a reward (treat, toy, cuddle, smile, whatever works for your dog). This takes long but can help build an association between word and position to help support learning.

Another technique is using a treat to lead them under something like a table or chair that means they have to put themselves in the down position to get the treat.

Otherwise stick with the treat from nose to floor (in between 2 front feet) and hold it there for as long as it takes for the dog to offer the lay down behaviour.

Whatever you do make sure you don't say your car mans word until the dog is in the position you want.

Sorry for typos, trying to type quickly on my phone!

tabulahrasa no he isn't clicker trained he didn't respond very well to the clicker. I really wish he had done because recall would have been easier to train.

I don't know if I'm doing something wrong with him because all of my dogs I've had since childhood have always been clicker trained.v

Noooooooooo teaching him to bark on command will absolutely NOT stop him from barking this advice is given out so often and it is just wrong.

If you want to stop him from barking give him an alternative behaviour which means he cannot bark. eg make him pick up a toy (although some dogs can bark carrying a toy!) Get him to go to his bed when he sees someone outside the house, get him to come to you and get a treat etc.

I promise you teaching him to bark on command will not help.

“I did have a thread a little while ago about his incessant barking and a poster recommended I teach him speak so that he only barks on command.”

Oh, you’ve got the exception to the rule then, lol.

Hmm, teaching him to do it on command won’t stop him barking any other time, you’ll need to teach him to bark on command and then stop on command too...

Mine all bark on command but it will not stop them from barking in a situation that they may want to bark and I don't want them to.

We once had a vicars dog staying and I taught it to bark when you said Amen - I thought it would liven up prayer meetings at his house! The vicar never mentioned it though

Emberblu I think I would do a good job to manhandle him now he's this big but obviously I would never hurt him.

I could try doing it under the table but he tends to stay away from things that he has to duck for because of his size. He is quite aware that he can't fit under things so doesn't try.

I just don't understand why he doesn't understand lay but can do most other things.

“He is quite aware that he can't fit under things so doesn't try.”

are you sure he’s a rottie? Rofl...

I’m not understanding how he can move his head but not go down if you’re luring him from a sit though? Does he stop following it?

tabulahrsa he will stop on command he is told shhhh and he stops but then will begin again so it's not a consistent stop.

I have never had this issue with any other dog I have ever owned it's just him that uses his voice more than he should.

Valhalagonebutnotforgotten that's my other issue I don't want him to be silent all the time either if someone tried to break in I would want him to bark. I think maybe I won't try speak it seems like more trouble than it's worth. I love the vicars dog story

tabulahrasa I have wondered this myself as every other one we've owned or met has been a big clumsy teddy bear. Maybe he has been genetically altered

As soon as he's got his head down as far as it will go he then just lifts it up and looks at me as if to say well ate you going to give me the treat then?

Ah no, the MuttDog barks on command (usually for food, especially cheese) but she is a nightmare for barking as protection, and hello, and "mum there's something in the garden" and "I need a wee" and, well any day of the week with y in it really...