The reason for this question.
I taught our 18 month old lab to “speak,” but she’s too loud. After a while, I somehow got her to “whisper” on command for a treat. When she whispers, she moves her mouth, but makes no sound.
I’ve recently noticed her sitting in front of my wife “whispering” without being asked. I believe she’s doing it in hopes of getting a treat. My wife says no, that’s too much thinking or planning for a dog. She insists that Koko just has the hiccups. I’ve never even heard of a dog having the hiccups.
Somebody step in and settle this argument.
Enquiring minds want to know.

My Bassets used to get them. I think my Golden Retriever had them.

It was pretty obvious that they had the hiccups, though. Their whole body would (mildly) convulse and they would make the hiccup sound.

I would not put it past a dog to do a trick just to get food. All of our dogs would do this. Dogs are incredibly smart, and ours have gotten the better of us humans in battles of wills on numerous occasions. They even tricked us to feed them twice, pretending that my wife didn't feed them at all. . .

My current Labradoodle gets hiccups on rare occasion. (Couple times per year, maybe.)

I can't recall any of my previous dogs ever having them, but they might have.

hiccups? - yes, but they are fairly rare

burps? - absolutely, and not rare at all

I have seen dogs do far more "thinking" to get a treat than simply performing learned behavior, they are also quite adept at "reading" people as whether their efforts might be rewarded. For example, my dog Clark will "act cute" to get a treat from my wife, but he doesn't bother trying that with me. If evolution has favored an increase in intelligence to further the survival of humanity, I see no reason why the same could not be said for canines. I actually think they are quite a bit smarter than they let on, but have learned that humans do not always regard that trait favorably in their pets.

My current dog gets them occasionally.

My Boxers get them occasionally….

Yup, had a husky that would get them. Kinda endearing as you look at them, with a puzzled look on their face, trying to figure out what the hell is going on.

My lab gets them

I just knew that they didn’t, but Google also confirmed what I don’t ever remember seeing. Oh well...

“Just like in humans, a spasm in the diaphragm, the muscle under the lungs, causes hiccups in dogs. The spasm causes the glottis, the opening between the vocal cords, to close abruptly.”

Yes, my German Shepherd/Karelian Bear Dog mix gets them occasionally and it's funny to watch. He has the facial expression of, "What the hell?" whenever it happens. And then there's belching, He can belch longer and louder than a frat boy after a 12 pack of Busch.

Our lab has gotten the hiccups a couple of times, his whole body jerks when it happens.

quote:

Originally posted by Hound Dog:
I would not put it past a dog to do a trick just to get food. All of our dogs would do this. Dogs are incredibly smart, and ours have gotten the better of us humans in battles of wills on numerous occasions. They even tricked us to feed them twice, pretending that my wife didn't feed them at all. . .

Several years ago we got a Dalmatian puppy in the fall. Potty training was going really well as she'd go to the door when she needed to go out, squat and do her business and come back to the door for her treat.

And then it snowed... She went to the door like she had been doing for several weeks, out the door and into the snow covered grass she squatted for a few seconds and happily came running back to the door looking for her treat. It was then that I noticed there was no yellow spot. I'm sure she'd been duping me out of treats for quite some time .

Ours doesn't, but she makes up for that with extra farting.

Schnauzer did, but he gave up drinking and the never had them again.

quote:

Originally posted by ShouldBFishin:

And then it snowed... She went to the door like she had been doing for several weeks, out the door and into the snow covered grass she squatted for a few seconds and happily came running back to the door looking for her treat. It was then that I noticed there was no yellow spot. I'm sure she'd been duping me out of treats for quite some time .

That's hilarious.

I keep telling myself, "I will NOT be outsmarted by a dog!"

Then, in a smaller, weaker, despairing voice, "Not again."

quote:

Originally posted by ShouldBFishin:
Our lab has gotten the hiccups a couple of times, his whole body jerks when it happens.

quote:

Originally posted by Hound Dog:
I would not put it past a dog to do a trick just to get food. All of our dogs would do this. Dogs are incredibly smart, and ours have gotten the better of us humans in battles of wills on numerous occasions. They even tricked us to feed them twice, pretending that my wife didn't feed them at all. . .

Several years ago we got a Dalmatian puppy in the fall. Potty training was going really well as she'd go to the door when she needed to go out, squat and do her business and come back to the door for her treat.

And then it snowed... She went to the door like she had been doing for several weeks, out the door and into the snow covered grass she squatted for a few seconds and happily came running back to the door looking for her treat. It was then that I noticed there was no yellow spot. I'm sure she'd been duping me out of treats for quite some time .

I've had my current Lab for around 18 months. For quite some time she'd strip pieces off of my Pygmy Data Palm trees and eat them. A couple of hours later, she'd throw up all over the house.

When I'd try to take them from her, she'd play keep away with me, so I bought a shock collar. Never did shock her, the collar had 3 modes, tone, vibrate and shock. I started off with tone and that's all it took. She'd hear that and bring me the pieces from my trees.

I decided to encourage that behavior and started giving her 2 treats when she brought the pieces to me. Next thing I know, she'd go to the palms, tear off a piece, come over and sit in front of me and offer me the pieces, then I'd give her treats.

So she's trained to tear pieces off the trees and "sell" them to me.

Yes, they can get hiccups.

Yes, they can think/plan with amazing detail. Most dogs are far more intelligent than a great many humans and nearly 100% of politicians. Many dogs can tell time. My 2 know to the minute when it’s time to eat AND they will talk to me if I’m late getting it ready.

Yes on the hiccups. My Aussie pup gets them all the time.

ARman

Yep my GSD gets them all the after he eats.

quote:

Originally posted by ShouldBFishin:
And then it snowed... She went to the door like she had been doing for several weeks, out the door and into the snow covered grass she squatted for a few seconds and happily came running back to the door looking for her treat. It was then that I noticed there was no yellow spot. I'm sure she'd been duping me out of treats for quite some time .

Bandit can top that. This past winter for us was the never ending winter. We were all tired of the snow, even Bandit who normally loves it. We got the biggest storm since I've been here in 3 years that dumped 2' in 24 hours. Bandit was acting like he does when he needs to out and I voiced the question, "Go whiz?"

He took off like a shot down the stairs, I followed to the sliding glass door that exits out onto aground level deck. I opened the door, he looked at the 2' of snow on the deck, then back at me like somehow it was my fault, then stood parallel to the door on 3 legs inside the door, hiked his rear leg and whizzed out onto the snowbank on the deck.

Well, when our lab wants to go outside to do her business, my wife has been leaving the back door just off the latch. Within about 2 minutes, Koko comes busting back through that door and grabs a sock or towel and scoots back outside while my wife is squawking at her. My wife then grabs a treat and heads out to the backyard where Koko is waiting for her to come pay the ransom for that sock or towel.
Koko never seems to tire of that game.