A challenge: what happens if you stop talking to your dog for a day?

[Emily_Babbelhund]

My voice disappeared for three days and came back today. What I learned in how this affected Carbon and how we interact on walks was interesting. While my other dogs have been VERY verbally-oriented and only learned hand signals as more of a side-effect, Carbon does not seem to understand language in the slightest, even is own name. I've suspected that my normal constant stream of chatter was doing him no favors. What happened during three days of utter silence?

He paid attention. To. Every. Little. Thing. He obeyed hand signals when requested. I adapted a mouth click as the 'move along' on our walk and he actually listened to it and MOVED ALONG. Because I was ill, our walks were very short and to the point, but he still needed to be ushered through the urban (pretzel) jungle we live in, which means LAT with other dogs, don't touch with food on the ground, simple guiding which street to take and through traffic, etc. To my astonishment, he did as well if not - again - better with very basic hand signals and that mouth click sound than with verbal cues/commands.

Today my voice came back and it felt like Carbon turned back into the pretzel-crazed bottomless pit of hunger and distraction that he is most days. Mmmm...because he knows I'm feeling better and can handle his normal self again, or because I've already started up my chattering at him? It's gotten me thinking again how my training style - very vocal - which worked gangbusters with my Rottie boys is simply not suited to a dog that had very little human contact growing up so just doesn't seem to register the human voice.

I'll try to remember if he's not getting things to step back and go back to silence, or somehow build it into everyday training. Maybe even stop verbal cues altogether, though it's such an ingrained habit with me, I know I'd find going completely silent darn near impossible!

So...how much do you talk to your dog? Do you use hand signals, verbal cues or a mix? What do you think would happen if you stopped using your voice for a day? Want to give it a try?

 

[kateincornwall]

Oh heck , I talk to Reuben all the time , like " so its almost dinner time " or even " where will we go for a walk today ?" I even chatter to Nelly , although she hears very little indeed but she does look at my face a lot and reacts to expression , as does Reuben . Because of Nellys deafness , I do use hand signals and now find Reubs responding to them too , but not to speak to them at all would be purgatory although I suspect Paul might like my silence ! xx

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

but not to speak to them at all would be purgatory

I'm totally with you there!

 

[SwampDonkey]

I very often don't speak much. When I'm ill and struggling my dogs get it but I'm quiet anyway.. They watch hand signals nod of the head a hand gesture a click of the tongue. When I'm operating on basic functions only they gear up a bit become more attentive. I don't use my voice much when we used to move as a group it was a single unit.
Rory will do the concentrated with me on no talky mode now he did it on Sunday and yesterday and today I'm very sick at the moment there is not much spare energy. I don't talk much any way if I talk too much they tune me out the get used to the noise and it becomes white noise. I see other people and they constantly call their dogs name the dogs ignore them. Less is more I like to keep moving quickly and quietly. Body movement and gestures mean more to my dogs than voice they are physical creatures.

 

[SwampDonkey]

I do a none me treat walk and a none toy walk and a no talk occasionally just to see if we can.

 

[Charlie]

I talk to my dogs more then David I will try it tomorrow, although I already do long/short distance hand signals. Hattie is such an attentive dog, always keeping me in sight so it might not have too much effect.

My son is walking Charlie this week so I will ask him to do the same and we can compare notes x

 

[Stacia]

Perhaps Carbon is a little deaf?

 

[Jacqui-S]

Our trainer was a big fan of just shutting up and using hand signals and body language.
We had silent training days. Some people just DID NOT GET IT! It was hilarious watching his reaction.
You know how it is....training the humans is far harder than train ing the dogs.

 

[Selina27]

This is interesting, got me thinking I must say.

I'd say I'm somewhere inbetween with Cass. In the house I think it depends if she's looking for interaction any way, then I chatter to her about what I'm doing. Outside it's probably restricted to cues, because I try to keep her occupied with me.
Agree about the white noise effect, there are definitely times when a sort of glazed expression comes over her face and I know my words are falling on deaf ears!
If she's sleeping sometimes I walk by and couch her a bit and drop a kiss on her lovely shiny head. Not sure I can go a whole day without talking to her, I'd feel like she might think I don't love her any more!

 

[Atemas]

drop a kiss on her lovely shiny head.

I do this a lot! Can’t resist it.

I do talk a lot to both dogs but I have thought about it when out with them. Recently I have been doing a lot more hand signals and one word cues or ‘this way’ with signal and I find Red very responsive. However I just can’t stop getting a ‘sweetheart’ into my chatter at some point during the walk.

 

[Stacia]

I am sure dogs understand hand signals far better than words. However, I had a gun dog teacher who would NOT let us give hand signals! I am a mixture of both with my dog, but I think hand signals get a quicker response.

 

[SwampDonkey]

I think they cut through excitement too. Rory will get stressed over excited and just not hear but a clear hand signal always works. I can calm him and he can catch up with himself

 

[Jen]

I wouldn’t be able to not talk to Stanley, I talk to him constantly!

He understands me too - I swear!

 

[kateincornwall]

I wouldn’t be able to not talk to Stanley, I talk to him constantly!

He understands me too - I swear!

Of course he does Jen , every single word x

 

[Selina27]

He understands me too -

There's no doubt about it!

 

[Selina27]

Outside it's probably restricted to cues,

Verbal, whistle and hand signals.

Hand signals work extremely well -- when she is looking at me

 

[Boogie]

I tend to use one word cues when working the pups. At home I chatter away to them, monkey slave me

 

[SteffiS]

This is very interesting. I have days where I practice hand signals only with Ripple which he responds to very well.

However walking with Toffee in the dark in the mornings I have developed a rhythm of counting out loud (with added rhymes for my own interest ) that keeps his attention. I also use this when he gets side tracked walking in the daylight as it seems to bring him back to loose lead walking.

Then I tried it with Ripple in the dark and I found he also responded very well and starting paying more attention to me rather than scanning for poo.
This is how I can manage to walk the two dogs together, rhythmic counting plus silly rhymes. So this morning in the dark, head torch, two dogs, and crazy counting - no wonder the rest of the village keep their distance .

 

[Shaz82]

Interesting, but I am afraid it would be impossible not to talk to Maisy. We do use hand signals as well, for distance or when I am at work or in crowds of people, but I chatter so much to her all the time. My OH often answers me and he always gets the reply - "No, I'm talking to Maisy!!" It's really annoying actually you'd think he would have learned by now.

 

[Cath]

I talk to my two all the time, in fact my son said it is surprising that they don't answer me back. They would do, but they can't get a word in sideways