Cocoa is such a trooper! Little does she know she is the muse for my Education Tech Inquiry. Below are the four steps to get Cocoa to “Sing,” according to Babette Haggerty’s The Best Dog Tricks on the Planet: 106 Amazing Things Your Dog Can Do on Command.

  1. Identify a trigger for any song-like sound from your dog, for example a fire engine or a high-pitched sound you play for her. > Cocoa will howl along to another dog or human howl. So, we are good there. See video below with a howling Cocoa.
  2. Once she starts howling, tell her, “Sing Elvis, Sing.” Praise her lavishly. > Hmm, may need to edit that command to just a simple “Sing Cocoa, Sing.” Mmm, treats, love and more treats!
  3. Repeat this whenever you catch her howling. Over time you can play around to help her develop different pitches, and play with your own voice so she’ll sing back to you. > I swear I’ve heard Cocoa say “I love you” before. Mental note to prove this in the inquiry.
  4. Practice three to five times a day for seven to ten days. > We are getting there. We tried three times today; off to a good start!

 

And because who doesn’t want to hear a dog say, “I love you!”