Silent Husky?

[tgainsbrough]

How do I get my husky to make a noise? ;.; Kora only makes a yelp if stepped on. Sometimes she will bark. But she does not make any other noise. How do I get her to howl or even talk? She is just almost always silent, all day long.

[Tatipu]

For me, if I hold a treat in my hand long enough but don't give it to Jelly and she really wants it, she'll start barking/howling while doing tricks so she can get her little nomnom lol. Other than that, the only time Jelly makes other noises is at the dog park when she wants other dogs to play with her she'll go woahwoah woof. etc. Very amusing noises lol. I don't know how you can make her do it -- I've been told some huskies just aren't the vocal type though. (Not sure if it's true or not since mine can be vocal x_o)

[Elyse]

Suka's a very quiet dog too. He doesn't make any noise unless if he wants something...which doesn't happen very often (really only for outside). Just like Kora, Suka rarely makes any noise all day.

I just chalked it up to his personality.

But, I managed to train him to speak...and that, in turn, has encouraged him to make more noise.

I would hold a treat in my hand, a treat he would really want. He would go through all of the tricks he knew several times, but he would not get it.

Finally, he barked out of frustration. As soon as it did that, he got the treat.

This took a couple of tries, but eventually he got it, and he started to bark almost right away after seeing the treat.

I attached the word to it, "Speak", and now he barks on command.

Unfortunately, this has made him bark and woo as soon as he sees any treat...its always the first trick he tries.

It's handy to teach them 'quiet' too, when/if you want them to stop barking.

[Tatipu]

Unfortunately, this has made him bark and woo as soon as he sees any treat...its always the first trick he tries.

^ This LOL ;-;.

Be careful what you wish for >:!! Ever since I taught Jelly speak, it's strings of speak and all other tricks ;-;..

[Elyse]

^ This LOL ;-;.

Be careful what you wish for >:!! Ever since I taught Jelly speak, it's strings of speak and all other tricks ;-;..

LOL, yeah. I had to teach him 'Quiet' it was getting so bad!

He's still really quiet, though, so I think him just being quiet is a part of his personality. There's nothing I can do to change it. And, quite frankly, I rather enjoy that he's quiet...he doesn't bother the neighbours (my neighbours are REALLY grouchy elderly people...) and he doesn't bother us when we want to sleep in.

Best of all, I know that when he does make noise, it's almost always important: Like, if he has to go outside right away to go to the washroom, he'll woo and howl and bark and he'll be all noisy!

Oh, if he's in some kind of trouble, like if he wraps himself (his tether) around a tree outside, he'll make a certain bark (not a yelp) so I can go outside to 'save' him...cause he's too stupid to walk around the tree the other way.

If there's somebody at the door, he'll go 'ruff, ruff' and then he'll go running towards the door barking loudly. His barks sound vicious from the other side of the door, LOL.

[Removed #5]

Avalanche is quiet until he gets himself wrapped up and like [MENTION=3404]SolitaryHowl[/MENTION] said the noise he makes is different enough I know what he needs. He will bark when someone he doesn't know comes into the drive; if it's someone he knows he just stands there and looks at them.

Sasha - almost perfectly quiet most of the time, I an tease her into talking to me with the treat in my hand trick otherwise she's absolutely quiet unless she's decided to let me know she wants out ( we're getting better with that, thank the gods!! )

So [MENTION=7580]tgainsbrough[/MENTION] if you haven't gotten the idea, it's dog specific, some will talk your ear off, some will bark sometimes and some just don't have much of anything to say ....

[tgainsbrough]

I understand it was dog specific. I was asking how to make a quiet husky make noise.

She will NOT make a noise if tied up in something, stuck, or in any other word danger. She barely even made a peep went another dog ripped her paw open. She only ever makes noise when she gets stepped on, and now she actually has even stopped doing that! She only barks when she goes to PetSmart's training classes, which we aren't in any more. She only ever talks if she doesn't understand a command I am trying to teach her. But even then it is almost absolutely silent, very small "rurr rurr" that's it.

She knows the speak command but she has such trouble making any noise. Like her vocal cords don't work. ;.;

So I am looking for a way to get her to talk, it doesn't work with holding a treat, I've tried that. :/ I am trying to teach her speak so she can call for help when I need it. This would be a service dog task. So it's important that I work on her with it.

[Elyse]

For Suka, because he was so quiet, it took literally took almost 10 minutes of just me standing there with the treat in hand...him going through all of his tricks several times (and he knows a LOT!) before he finally barked.

[Stormy]

Shadow used to be quite quiet when he was a pup hes very vocal nowadays especially around other dogs lol Skye well if i move to far away from her with shadow she sounds like she is being murdered! lol

[Povodny]

Have you tried YouTube? Sometimes playing other huskies howling will get them to join in. We have a talker a whiner a yipper and a silent bob. Actually Loki can be very vocal but generally when he's out on the lead and any other dog is ahead of him. He sounds like he's being murdered. As does Safi. Peppa is a yipper and a yodeller. Togo is just totally opinionated, has an answer for everything and can hold a full blown conversation with most people who'll give him the time of day.

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

Blaze just got more vocal as he got older , skyla rarely makes a noise n I can rarely make her

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[XMoonshadow]

Mine is quiet too...treats don't work he is not food motivated. But if I put my coat on & pick up his leash he will make all kinds of songs & dance too LOL

[tgainsbrough]

I have tried youtube, I have tried howling myself, I even have on tape wolves howling and nothing. If I stand still for minutes holding a treat or even a little bit and she will lay down and do nothing. So will never try to get the treat or ever beg for food. She doesn't get excited to go on walks even if I say walkies or try to get her excited. ;.; This dog never has motivation I swear it. How she follows my every command I don't know.

[Elyse]

I have tried youtube, I have tried howling myself, I even have on tape wolves howling and nothing. If I stand still for minutes holding a treat or even a little bit and she will lay down and do nothing. So will never try to get the treat or ever beg for food. She doesn't get excited to go on walks even if I say walkies or try to get her excited. ;.; This dog never has motivation I swear it. How she follows my every command I don't know.

Maybe you're using the 'wrong' kind of treat? What's a treat that she really likes? (don't just use kibble). Or is she not food motivated?

Maybe [MENTION=2703]Staceybob[/MENTION] knows what to do?

[Storm Angel n Auroras Mum]

angel occasionally howls, makes squeaky noises more.

storm will only make noises if:

1: he wants to

2: he wants to go outside - mostly mumbling or barking

3: he hears a smoke alarm or a car alarm - this is the only time he really howls

4: he wants to come inside - strong bark

[Staceybob]

Personally I wouldn't complain. It sounds like you have a nice and quiet husky that obeys your commands otherwise. If it's not in their personality, I don't see the need to push them to do it. I like having a quiet and responsive husky, but she does howl if she needs the toilet, but I've always encouraged her to be noisy when she needs to go.

If you really really want her to be vocal, you can clicker train them to do it, but for quiet dogs, you have to get them relatively stressed to get them to bark in the first place, which is why I wouldn't feel comfortable doing it. It's out of your dogs comfort zone for a reason.

Here's Zak George's tutorial on how to teach it, but notice he says it's something you can't make them do - they have to want to do it, and if it's not something she wants to do, it's not going to happen.

Stacey xxx

[Storm Angel n Auroras Mum]

yes I need to get angel to be more vocal for toileting. she isnt very vocal then and i have to be on the watch.

[Elyse]

Yeah, I'm thankful Suka's very vocal if he has to go to the toilet. He'll bark and woo...and if we ignore him or if its an emergency, he'll 'headbutt' us. It's hilarious!

[tgainsbrough]

I actually noticed Kora's behavior and taught her to put a paw on my leg when she has to go to the bathroom. I never have to worry about that. She is never vocal at all.

However, every once in a while while giving her the command to speak she barks. But not as often as I need it to if it was an emergency.

[Austinville]

Neither of mine have been very vocal. Bo would speak in a soft "wooo" when he really wanted something. Starting from there, I began to tell him 'I can't hear you' and he would "WOOOO". Then I would tell him 'You're hurting my ears.' at which point he would revert to his soft 'wooo'. Silly boy.

Ryn, on the other hand, isn't interested in learning that 'trick'. She is vocal when she meets someone she truly loves (myself or my co-worker) and then she'll chat away. Yesterday, Tam asked Ryn if she was enjoying her day at work. To which Ryn replied 'well no' - seriously. It was as clear as day. So I know she can talk, it's a matter of if she wishes to.

[tgainsbrough]

Luckily this wasn't an emergency, but I had to use Kora's task to speak, as I had yelled "mom" about 5 times. Kora sadly only made a "rurr rurr" which would have been impossible for my mom to hear.

I'll have to keep working on it. I'll explain why this is important cause some of you are thinking well it doesn't matter. I have fallen to the floor multiple times collapsing because I can't breath, pass out, or my iron/sugar is low. I would use the last of my energy to bang as hard as I could on the floor. No one heard it and if they did thought it was nothing because it was so soft. So there I laid for about 5 to 10 minutes gasping for breath, when finally someone came to take me to the ER. The speak command I have taught her it just by flexing and relaxing my finger. It is very simple. If I collapsed and was having trouble she would be able to do that command. This command is between life and death, I was lucky the two times this happened my mom came out of her room at the right time to find me lying on the floor.

[Elyse]

First of all, and I don't mean any offence by this but I've been reading your other posts and...are you sure you picked the proper breed for this? As I'm sure you know, huskies are very stubborn and they have selective hearing...so they won't listen to your commands 100% (atleast my boy doesn't!). I know its too late, but perhaps a GSD or a Golden would have suited you better as a service dog??

Anyways, I don't know if this has been suggested already but...have you tried taking her to a professional trainer? Maybe they can help you figure out what will make her bark.

[MENTION=2703]Staceybob[/MENTION] , any more ideas??

[tgainsbrough]

Kora is with a professional trainer. She follows my commands 90% the first time and 100% the second, unless she is still learning. This is actually required by service dog standards and for her to eventually pass her public access test. When I command speak she does a "rurr rurr" but she does it on the first command. I did not choose Kora, actually husky was not the bred I even wanted, my fiance chose the dog. However Kora's responses and attachment to me plus the 30 day trial shows proved that she is capable of being a service dog. She was originally my emotional support animal.

I actually know many people who husky service dogs and service dogs that are not german shephards or golden reterivers that have turned out just fine. The trainer who is working with kora has a pure bred cocker spaniel as her service dog. It doesn't offend me I am just trying to let other people know the truth instead of falling into stereotypes. It's funny the only command she is having trouble with is speak and that is what huskies are known for.

[Elyse]

Kora is with a professional trainer. She follows my commands 90% the first time and 100% the second, unless she is still learning. This is actually required by service dog standards and for her to eventually pass her public access test. When I command speak she does a "rurr rurr" but she does it on the first command. I did not choose Kora, actually husky was not the bred I even wanted, my fiance chose the dog. However Kora's responses and attachment to me plus the 30 day trial shows proved that she is capable of being a service dog. She was originally my emotional support animal.

I actually know many people who husky service dogs and service dogs that are not german shephards or golden reterivers that have turned out just fine. The trainer who is working with kora has a pure bred cocker spaniel as her service dog. It doesn't offend me I am just trying to let other people know the truth instead of falling into stereotypes. It's funny the only command she is having trouble with is speak and that is what huskies are known for.

Yeah, I read your other post. Sorry about that...its just that I've seen of so many huskies 'fail' to follow even the simplest commands (mine included) because they're just so stubborn! Luckily, your girl seems to be really special!

Does your trainer have any idea on to how to get her to speak? Have you tried other trainers to see if they can give you any advice? I now realize its very important for her to learn it, so you mustn't give up!

[Staceybob]

If speaking is not on her favourite things to do, why not install some "buttons" around the house that set off an alarm. You could then teach the husky to push the alarms or pull the cord on the alarms to inform your mum. This would be a hell of a lot easier to teach with such a quiet dog and a hell of a lot more likely for her to perform.

For example, I've taught my girl to turn the lights on for me and she gets so damn excited about doing it that I know she'll do it every time I ask. This is how you could treat a button for an alarm.

Stacey xxx