How to Train a German Shepherd to Howl

To begin, grab lots of small treats that your dog loves and a portable electronic device, such as a smart phone or tablet, that has internet access. On your electronic device, find a video or audio recording of a siren, such as a fire truck siren.

Next, call your dog over to you in a calm location. Keep your device out of sight from your dog. Tell your dog to "Howl" while you play the recording of the siren for him. If he does not howl then repeat the recording several times in a row, try different recordings of sirens, or turn the volume up. Be careful not to frighten your dog though. If you try all of those things and he still will not howl then use a different method to train this.

When your dog howls, praise him enthusiastically and offer him a treat.

Repeat the recording, telling your dog to "Howl", and praise and rewarding him when he does so. Do this at least thirty times.

After thirty repetitions with the recording, play the recording again while you tell Fido to "Howl", and praise him and reward him when he does so. After you have rewarded him, tell him to howl again, without playing the recording. Do this up to five times in a row, and when he howls in response to your command praise him and offer him five treats, one treat at a time. Give him one treat each time that he howls after the first five times.

If your buddy does not howl in response to just your command any of the times, then go back to practicing with the recording for longer. Practice with the recording at least fifteen more times before telling him to "Howl" again, without playing the recording. Repeat this process until your pup will howl when you tell him to without the recording.

When Fido will howl in response to your command, without the recording, then practice until he can do it consistently. If he seems confused about what to do at any point then give him a hint by playing the recording again. After he howls in response to the recording go back to not using it again. Do this until he no longer needs the recording occasionally, in order to respond to your command consistently.

To begin, grab lots of treats that your dog loves and a portable electronic device, such as a smart phone or tablet, that has access to the internet. On your device find a video or audio recording of one or more dogs howling.

Next, call your dog over to you, hide your device where your dog cannot see it, and tell him to "Howl" while you play the howling recording. If your dog does not howl when he hears it, then either turn up the volume, repeat the video multiple times in a row, or try several different recordings of howling. If none of those things work then you will need to use another method to teach this.

When your dog howls then praise him and give him five treats, one at a time. Give five treats the first five times that he howls while practicing this. After the first five times then give him only one treat each time that he howls.

Repeat the recording, telling him to "Howl", and praising and rewarding him when he does so. Do this at least thirty times.

After you have practiced howling with your dog at least thirty times, then play the recording again while you tell him to "Howl", and praise and reward him when he does so. After he is quiet again and the recording is off, then tell him to "Howl" again, in an excited tone of voice. Repeat this up to five times in a row, until he howls. When he howls without hearing the recording then praise him and give him five treats, one at a time. Give him five treats the first five times that he howls in response to just your command, and one treat each time after that.

If your dog will not howl in response to just your command during any of the five repetitions, then practice with the recording at least fifteen more times. After at least fifteen repetitions with the recording, tell him to "Howl" again, without playing the recording. Repeat this process until he howls in response to just your command.

When your dog will howl in response to just your command, without hearing the recording, then practice telling him to "Howl" without playing the recording until he can do it consistently. If your pup is struggling to remember what to do when you tell him to "Howl", give him a hint by playing the recording again, then go back to not using the recording after he succeeds. Do this until he no longer needs to be given hints occasionally.

To begin, grab some of your Shepherd's favorite small treats and a small Ziploc bag or treat pouch to place them in.

Attach your filled treat pouch to yourself, or place your treat filled, Ziploc bag into your pocket. Listen to your dog anytime that you are with him. Be ready to respond to any howling that he does.

When your dog begins to howl then quickly go over to him and tell him to "Howl", then immediately praise him and give him a treat.

Any time that your dog howls over the course of the next several weeks, immediately go over to him, tell him to "Howl" while he is still howling, and then praise him and give him a treat. Do this until you have caught him howling at least thirty times.

After you have caught your dog howling at least thirty times, call him over to you and tell him to "Howl". If he howls, then praise him and give him a treat. Repeat this up to five times in a row, until he howls.

If your buddy does not howl when you tell him to any of the times then go back to capturing his howling for longer. After you have caught him howling at least ten more times then call him over to you again and tell him to "Howl" again. Do this to test whether or not he knows it now. Repeat this process until he will howl when you call him over and tell him to "Howl".

When your pup will howl when you tell him to, then practice it until he can do it consistently. When he can do it consistently then he has learned the trick. Congratulations on teaching him something new!