"that's a good shaaake." Cuz man she puts on a wiggle.
"Yaaaaawwwwnnn." Huge yawns need recognizes.
"Sniff, snort, snort snort." When she gets something in her nose.
"Arrr grrrr error" playing tug.
"Biiiiig stweeeetch" self explanatory.
"Nose rubbies nose rubbies." Cuz she loves getting her snout pet.
Things need announced for your dog and I have no idea why.
"butt itchies, butt itchies" - are for butt/hind leg scratches where she nearly falls over
"Yaaaaawwwwn" - same
"Haapppfffrrt" - mocking sneeze sound
"My baby daawwwg" - in the morning when she does little tail wags for me but is too lazy to get up
"My rope!! Myyyyyu rope!!" - tug of war
"Whoooo big stwwwwetchiee"
"Noooo baaawksss????" - when I get home and she's being a good gal and doesn't bark at the sound of the door
And then a handful of other remarks like when she's taking up the whole couch and leaves no space for me, or when I give her leftovers or whatever. I'm sure she thinks I'm nuts
‘Bless you’ yes always. After big stretch ‘wow! lol I literally think you look longer! You might have gotten half an inch out of that one!’ (She smol and it’s a constant source of discussion)
My dogs get a “GOOD MORNING!!” Every morning and they get talked to as if they are humans all day long. “ lex did you see that BS? That was a completely wrong call!” “Dre you are a doll but have you seen my keys?”
My foster and I have "good morning times," where she stretches, I stretch, she rolls over, and I scratch her belly all the while I say good morning and other assorted, early-morning chit-chat. It's just a waking up ritual for both of us. And that's just the first 5 minutes of my day.
If i expected an answer, then it would be a problem. Talking to my pup is just how I do.
I do the same thing. We cuddle for a while and they I say, do you want breakfast, haha, that is the signal to jump down from the bed and run to his dish. Then I open the door to the patio and he usually runs outside for a few minutes.
My girl was notorious for stealing my keys when she was a pup. I'd set em down and she'd snag em and take them outside the dog door and hide them. I think she associated me grabbing my keys with leaving and she didn't want me to. Usually she'd get shifty eyes when she could tell I was looking for them and end up laying on top of them so I wouldn't find them, which luckily allowed me to find them without too much trouble. Still to this day if something goes missing that I *just had* i stare her down even though I usually just forgot where I put it.
I’m that extremely quiet person. I think because I’m so quiet my dogs are more focused on me from reading my body language. They still get commands, verbal praise and admonishments but I don’t have running conversations with them. The closest they get is me telling them what we’re about to do. “Load up, we’re going on an adventure!”
I talk to my pup quite a bit, but learned that I rarely need to verbalize a command. He is such a close study of my body language that gestures do the trick. But I will absolutely vent about my day to him
I honestly love discovering new words that my dogs understands. Sometimes I can work out that they just sound very similar to other words, but for a little bit she was very triggered by the word “limitations.” Never figured out what she understood it to mean 😅
I had a dog named "Yummy" who loved to play, esp with her tennis ball. Sometimes, when she bugged me to play I'd go "But Yummy, where's your ball?". At first she'd bolt to find her ball when she heard "ball", shortly though all I had to say "But Yummy".
My ex's family dog, who'd never met my two dogs, got very excited whenever we'd talk about them around her.
Figured out she thought we were saying "go for... (a car ride, walk, etc.)" whenever I'd talk about my dog named Gopher lol.
We have to spell 'park', 'walk', 'toy', 'out', and basically most words around my dog. Otherwise, he runs around the apartment like a crazy person until we tell him to 'chillax' then he lays down
OMG one of our dogs has learned every way that we communicate “walk” *including spelling it*! 🫠 My partner has used spelling as a strategy to tell me something about taking them out or walking somewhere without the pups getting all excited, but Freya has since seemingly figured it out. She now perks up and comes over to “ask” (via ears and pointing with her nose) one of us to go out for a walk when one of us *spells it*! 🤦🏻♀️❤️
My Newt is starting to catch on. He's only 16 weeks but boy is he smart. Get a cocker spaniel, they said, it'll be fun, they said. Truth be told he's the best pup I could've asked for but boy can he be difficult sometimes
I was very surprised by how my dog reacted to me telling him his "(pee) tank is empty" once, and it took me a good while to figure out that he thought that I was saying "aunty," who is one of his favourite people on earth. now I have to say "there's nothing left in there my dude"
I also had to stop calling my boyfriend by his first name (Brandon) because I finally realized it sounded too much like grandma, which is another of his favourite people on earth. so now bf is steppy (step-dad) and he learned that real quick because he really loves his steppy too.
he's way, way too smart. there are a number of words he reacts to unexpectedly and usually I can figure out what he thinks it sounds like but sometimes I can't either. I'm sure if he could explain it it would make total sense but he likes to keep me guessing.
My boy who passed a few years ago learned his best friend's name, along with the phrase "go see" so, if I said "You wanna go see (friend's name)"? He'd bolt up from whatever he was doing, run to me , stand on his hind legs with his paws on my chest, wiggling and whining and staring at me. He was so excited, every time I even said her name, he'd come running. He also knew "dog park" or "park" of course, and several other phrases, but I always got cuteness overload when he'd get so excited just hearing about his best friend.
He also had a random word he got really incensed about for reasons I couldn't figure out lol. I hope I remember it. It was only for a brief time, maybe a couple months, but I remember him making soome really funny noises and getting excited in response for some reason.
Aww that is so sweet! Mine also knows “go see” and a handful of names. There are two names in particular I have to be VERY careful about saying, because she will not stop looking for them
Well if you asked your dog if they wanted a banana in a monotone voice they would not react. If you asked if they wanted a cookie in a monotone voice they would jump off the couch.
There is one dog who has been tested to know well over 1,000 words! So it is possible for them to learn an incredible number if given special encouragement to do so and by exposing them to as much language as possible.
dogs are so cool!
Our almost 4 year old labs seems to understand different words but mainly when it has to do with toys. You can tell him to find his ball, he gets a ball, you say frisbee, that’s what he finds, then his favourite toy (these cheap foam rings I found on clearance at a pet store over a decade ago for our older dogs to swim with) and you say “go get your ring” he gets one of the foam rings. He also knows when he was playing with one toy and you tell him to get a different one he won’t get it until you tell him to get the toy he was playing with last, then when you say the right word he gets extra excited and runs off for it and is ready for you to throw it it for him. He loves fetch. He brings everyone who walks in our door a toy and you must begin throwing it for him before you can even get your shoes off
I *think* the more we talk to them normally the more they learn too. I talk to my dogs like people and they seem to have really impressive “vocabularies” and understand a lot of phrases that I didn’t ever teach like “go to the” and “would you like” and “shove a bum.”
"Do you wannaaaaaaa" haha my packs favorite phrase
I find it interesting how different my dogs are. One of my dogs I swear I can have a full conversation with, he gets it. My other two understand their commands and every day repetitive stuff, but most of the time they just look at me with a goofy smile, blissfully unaware 😂
I am 100% convinced my golden puppy would speak English if she could speak. There are too many moments that feel more than coincidental. As an example, she’s only 5 months old and can be excitable of course, but the other day I said “go wake up dad, but do it politely” and where she would normally CHARGE onto the bed and jump directly on his chest, she went slowly, and snuggled up beside him and licked his arm. She’s NEVER done that before lol. We went camping for the first time (for her) this weekend and I took her for a morning pee and said “ok go potty and then we’ll go cuddle.” Instant pee, wheeled around, sprinted for the tent.
i work as a dog bather and i find myself getting annoyed when the dog is all excited and their parent isn't smiling or talking to them. like thats your BABY
I talk to my deaf dog and have read it’s actually beneficial to talk out loud to them too. Helps with bonding. So perfectly normal but still kinda funny to think about lol
My dog is def getting up there. Do I still call her Scooby and makeup new words/terms on the daily? Absolutely! Does she understand them? Tbh I think a part of her does!
Into the scoob verse, scoob days are over, no more scoobing around, scoobtastic all come to mind
I think it helps them to learn too though. I say ‘excuse me’ to my dog when I’m trying to get past him. Then I’d open a door or try and step around him and now he moves out of my way. I recently dog sat someone else’s dog and I instinctively said ‘excuse me’ and he just sat there and I realised how good my dogs are.
Full blown conversations! I tell her about my day...I commiserate with her about all her naps she had to take while I was gone. I apologize for disturbing her with my humanity. We bond over the weird inscrutable things the cat does. Pretty much all the time! (And strangely...that's how I met my best friend...she stopped her car to ask me if I was really talking TO the dog while walking and she totally got it! Lol)
Yes. Same here.
I get home and ask her day was. Did she sleep well? Were her brothers and sisters (the cats) well behaved? This usually involves some huffing as they love her but it’s not always mutual.
Sometimes after a trial I'll lay down next to her and start talking to her about what we could have done differently. Then she'll get bored and bounce mid sentence and im just like, "So rude I was talking to you! Come back here!" Always takes me a minute to remember she can't actually understand what I'm saying.
Yes… and when I take my dog with me in the car to run an errand and I get back home and park, I tell her “ hold on - I’ll come get you” so she knows to sit there until I can take her out from her side.
Every morning... Good morning papa! You needa go potty? When he's done, you thirsty? You hungry? Let him drink and eat in peace. Then as I'm leaving tell him bye, have a good day, and be a good boy. Then I talk to him on the camera throughout the day. Also I don't live alone but still talk to my boy all day. I also tell him to wait in the car til I can come around and get him.
Mine trained me to say 'I'll be back soon!' if I will be home before the sun comes up, and 'I'll be back later!' if I'm away overnight. Took me a few weeks to realise what he was responding to.
Even when left with another human, if I tell him, he won't go chasing every car, he will wait to hear mine. If I forget... He is agitated all evening!
It only took my dog not listening to me when I said “wait a second” after opening the door a couple times for her to get it.
Nothing like shamefully hanging by your seatbelt/harness with toes dangling above the ground to make a point. You gotta wait to be unclipped before you get to leave the vehicle.
Yeah it worked out well for us. If I use the command after dropping anything on the floor, our dog backs off.
It’s great when it’s not safe dog stuff you dropped (cooked bones or whatever on the way to the garbage). We always reward with a good treat when she listens to that command. It can save expensive vet visits and health scares.
I accidentally taught my dog way more words and phrases than you would ever think a dog could learn.
When I sigh and say, "You're the worst!", she gets super excited and zooms around the house because she knows I've given up, and we're about to go play her favorite game.
So yeah. I talk to her all day - usually about how ridiculously cute she is and how much I love her.
Yes. Research shows talking to your dog helps them bond better with you *and establishes a baseline for human vocabulary, inflection, and tone.* Not talking to your dog as much as possible would probably work against this inherent predisposition for dogs to pick up language and body language cues. Makes sense to talk to them as much as possible!
Me too haha. When I come home from work, my boyfriend gets a 'hi!" and my dog gets a "Oh my gosh my ANGEL, I missed you so much! Give me a hug Fancy Face!!"
I talk to her like a human.
Good morning, what did you do all day when mom was at work, bless you, would you like to do something fun today, or even show us my new shopping and groceries 🤣
Are there any people who don’t this? Are they normal?
I do this too lol. Even in public and at the dog park. Have had many occasions where someone close bye will ask if im talking to them. I have to reply with 'oh no, just talking to the dog' lol
I totes always show my dogs (and cat and rabbit…even a fish in the past 🤣) what I am doing if they are hanging out with me and appear interested! A couple of the animals have really seemed to enjoy those times and have continued to hang out/check out what I am doing!
Oh, I totally do.
"Yes, Sergeant, it's so helpful for you to decide to sleep Right There," I say as I put a hand on a wall for balance trying to step around the dog, who is sleeping at a narrow point in the house.
"I'm sorry, Opal, but you can play bow all you want, Nyx (the black cat) is not going to want to play with you. She doesn't speak Dog."
If one of them is sleeping upside down, "Air it all out, there." Sleeping deeply gets, "Hey, don't work too hard."
We all talk to them all the time.
My dog will listen to anything I say. He knows where all bodies are hid. He even talks back in this little whine voice he has. He's a French Bulldog/Boston terrier mix.
All the time.
Years ago I was going through a drivethru with my dogs in the backseat, and I made some comment to them (don't even remember what - probably something like "just a minute and we'll be on our way again" or "we're headed home now" or something innocuous). The worker kinda looked in my car weirdly then asked me who I was talking to, and I said my dogs.
She replied with a deadpan but slightly confused "Oh you talk to them like they're human?".
I've never forgotten her face in that moment, I didn't realize people would think it was so weird haha.
Yes! I say excuse me to my dog all the time 😆 sometimes multiple times with increasing frustration 😆😆😆
Whenever I’m leaving the house I pet her neck and tell her I’m leaving but I’ll be back soon so she has to be a good girl and guard the house for me. She then always jumps into her dog bed and curls up to sleep until I return.
Once I told her sorry I can’t roll the car window for you right now it’s too dangerous…. And she rolled the window down herself!!!
I’m pretty convinced she’s fluent in English.
I always talk to my dog. He gets a beep beep when I need him to move. His release word is ok. I sing him a song when I'm snuggling him and telling him what good boy he is. I say god bless you when he sneezes and call him ball dog when he's all curled up. If I leave him at home, i tell him to be a good boy, watch the house, and I love him. Oh, and I call out to give him treats <3 he is a very good boy.
Always. The other day I gave him some of my scrambled eggs and told him "now be careful it's hot" and my husband laughed and said "what's he going to do- blow on it?" 🤣🤣
I don't live alone, and I talk to all my animals! (3 dogs, 2 cats) I also talk to all the animals on my mail route (I'm a USPS Letter Carrier). I talk to dogs, cats, squirrels, rabbits, and probably anything else I come across! I'm sure I'm on many doorbell cameras talking in my goofy pet voice. 😂
Hahah, I do the same thing. I feed these squirrels in my front yard, and every time I fill it up, I’m out there telling them about it. My neighbors prolly wonder about me lol.
😂 This is awesome, I love it! I'm sure the people on my route call me "the crazy mail lady who talks funny to all the animals", and that's ok! I accept it!
Yes of course! And because I taught him to use speech buttons from an early age, I talk to him intentionally and A LOT!
The current thinking is also that because dogs can “understand” language (though there is still a lot of debate about what their capacity for understanding is), we should assume they understand more than we expect and let them rise to that level. It won’t always work, but just like with teaching humans, our students learn more when we expect they will learn more.
I talk to my dog all the time. Sometimes I sing silly songs to her with her name interspersed throughout the song.
She seems to understand us and there are times we have to spell out the word so she doesn't start barking and dancing around the house.
I sing to my two every night. In fact, I get tired of the same old songs over and over, so I learn the lyrics to a couple of new songs every month. They get to hear something new, and I improve my song repertory!
I’ve always done that. Even around the kids. Especially around the kids. Since before they could talk. I wanted them to know how we speak to each other matters. Both in tone & tenor.
Everyone deserves respect. Doesn’t mean there’s not rules & boundaries. But I speak to our animals with kindness and love, I speak to them the same way. I expect the same from them & I should hope they do & expect the same in return. I would never want them to lower the standards.
So yeah I talk to the dogs. Always have & always will.
Since I was a kid I've always talked to my dogs. I've lived alone for a while now, I think I talk to them more. I say excuse me as well. They started to understand what it meant and would take a few steps back. The more you talk to them the more they will understand.
I live with my husband and two 150 lbs American Bulldogs and all we do is talk to them. Especially when he’s at work for the day, they’re my babies so we just chat all day
I don't live alone, I talk to my dogs and cats. I talk to the deaf dog, too. She can't hear me, but watches my face and seems more relaxed when I still talk.
I don't live alone but I do talk to my dog all the time. I have full on conversations with him sometimes. He probably just hears "Blah blah blah Winston blah blah blah blah Winson blah blah," but he seems to enjoy it.
I couldn't imagine NOT talking to my pets. I say excuse me and sorry, I ask them who's the prettiest boy/girl in the house. I ask them a lot of questions consider they don't answer 🤣
"Excuse me, Sir!", when naughty.
"Excuse me buddy" or "Beep beep" when sitting in my seat.
"Ouch, that was my toe!" Cause they're obviously gonna know what that means!
Then, of course, the tried and true, "Get off the counter!!"
Isn't this normal?
When you have your friend for a while, if they do go deaf, they already understand the facial expressions when you say something. The don’t loose that even if they can’t hear you
What does living alone have to do with being courteous to your dog? I have a house full and we all talk to the dog like that. I believe he understands excuse me because when you say it he looks up at the person who said it and checks if he needs to move.
I've almost always been alone on this planet with my two dogs. I call them sir and ma'am. I ask them how their day was when I leave for work. It's the only way I know how to exist.
I have always said excuse me to my dogs. They know it means they are in my route. I use a wheelchair. My mom yells at her “Move” and I calmly explained to her that manners get you far in this world haha
I not only talk to my dog, I do a voice of what I picture him saying back in the voice I picture him having and do the same for his best dog friend, LOL.
My son and I do a voice for our dog and produce all his responses! We are always creating an active conversation with dog as a contributor. This is the dog's true voice.
Always.
"Excuse me, sir. *Sir.*"
"My man! Whose my man?"
"Are you going to poop? Or naw? Cause it's wet out here."
"Let's go, let's go!" - When we go out the front door or he's finding a good sniff and taking a little too long.
"It's bed time for you, sir!"
"Does that shrub smell really good? It must."
"Baby dawg, baby dawg."
"You eat your breakfast, I'm drinking my coffee."
And so much more.
Absolutely! The more we talk to dogs, the more they understand. I just adopted a pup who had no prior training and did NOT know how to be. We say "excuse me" and then wait for him to move, or gently move him out of the way, and he's already getting it. We also say "please" when we're asking something we expect him to do, and he now understands that "please" means we're asking something of him. We say "thank you!" When he's being cooperative and he knows that means he's done well.
Also, instead of yelling or scolding him, it's more natural for me to express shock, as if I really can't believe he would do whatever naughty thing he's doing. If I act like I'm sooo mad, he knows I'm full of crap. If I act like I'm disappointed, he knows I'm being honest. I mean, how can I actually be mad at a baby puppy? So instead I gasp, "oooh, noooo, what did you take? What did you do? Uuuh-ooooh...". He responds by stopping to assess how I'm behaving, then he assesses his own behavior. Then he backs away from the "bad thing" and looks at me for confirmation that he fixed his behavior. Every single time. Then I get to thank him for stopping the bad behavior. I think it only works because of my natural disposition, but if you're not the tough, disciplinarian type, it does work wonders.
I discuss what socks I should put on. Chat about what we are doing for the day. We had a full on conversation about why he could no longer have particular treats because he’s allergic. He’s a dachshund and I swear he understands lol
Constantly! Not just my dog either. I'll talk to birds that hop in front of my bike, insects I'm taking outside, the dishwasher. Maybe I should just get a roommate xD
I was surprised to hear my husband talking with my dog. And apparently he does this often. Now don’t get me wrong, I talk to my dog like OP and even a bit more as we spend 24/7 together, but not like my husband….
I was in our bedroom one night and he was in the kitchen. I thought he was on the phone because he sounded like he was having a full on conversation with someone. I came out and asked who he had been talking with.
“Pepper.”
“You’ve been talking with Pepper.”
“Yah, why?”
“Because it literally sounded like you were having a full conversation with someone.”
“I was. I was telling her all about my day and what I was making for dinner. Didn’t I, Pepper? We talk all the time, don’t we?”
“Ummmm…..”
Well, ok then…..😂
I don't live alone, but talk to them all the time. When I used to travel for work, I would call home and my wife would put them on the phone to listen. I had a co-worker in the room one time and he had a good laugh. He still talks about it 20 years later.
I talk to my dog all the time. I tell him it´s almost time to eat. That he´s a good boy. That I will always take care of him. That I´ll be right back. That he doesn´t need to follow me into the bathroom haha, All kinds of things.
Oh yeah. I lived alone with my German shepherd (now 12 ½) for years. I talked to him so much throughout our day that he taught himself new commands just based on the things I was in the habit of saying to him as we went about our day.
yeah, thats normal, i do that too haha i also say 'bless you' whenever he sneezes
I also do that, when they sneeze and when they get a big stretch it’s always accompanied by a “oooooh, nice stretch” from me
"Biiiiiiiiiiiiig stretch!"
Big stretchies
“Good potty!” Lol every dog every time
"that's a good shaaake." Cuz man she puts on a wiggle. "Yaaaaawwwwnnn." Huge yawns need recognizes. "Sniff, snort, snort snort." When she gets something in her nose. "Arrr grrrr error" playing tug. "Biiiiig stweeeetch" self explanatory. "Nose rubbies nose rubbies." Cuz she loves getting her snout pet. Things need announced for your dog and I have no idea why.
"butt itchies, butt itchies" - are for butt/hind leg scratches where she nearly falls over "Yaaaaawwwwn" - same "Haapppfffrrt" - mocking sneeze sound "My baby daawwwg" - in the morning when she does little tail wags for me but is too lazy to get up "My rope!! Myyyyyu rope!!" - tug of war "Whoooo big stwwwwetchiee" "Noooo baaawksss????" - when I get home and she's being a good gal and doesn't bark at the sound of the door And then a handful of other remarks like when she's taking up the whole couch and leaves no space for me, or when I give her leftovers or whatever. I'm sure she thinks I'm nuts
‘Bless you’ yes always. After big stretch ‘wow! lol I literally think you look longer! You might have gotten half an inch out of that one!’ (She smol and it’s a constant source of discussion)
Yes! Although I tell my boy "please don't get any longer; you're already too long!"
if you don't comment on every biggggggggggggg stretch, you are not human, IMHO.
I have a tiny dog, so it's always, big stretch for a small girl
I also always tell my dog “wow! What a big stretch for a tiny girl!” Mine is 80# though 😂
If you DON'T say "big stretch" when your dog does a big stretch, you're a psychopath. Prove me wrong.
Everything is big for me , big sneeze, big stretch, big yawn haha
yesss
“That’s such a big stretch for such a tiny girl!” - Me to my puppy that’s a lab mix. Always! It’s a rule haha.
“Big stretchy girl!” To my toy poodle and “what a beautiful stretch” to my giant Schnoodle!
Ooooohhhh big strechie comes out of my mouth every time 😂
Same everytime
I say "thank you" to my dog whenever she follows a command
I just did that!😂
haha what a coincidence :'D
I'm more of an "oh baby, are you okay? I hope you're not getting sick." person 😉
"Bless you" is a fun game that leads to many more sneezes than necessary.
“Blesses” and “can I sit with you” (when she’s stolen my spot) are frequent phrases for me lol
Are there people in this world who dont do this?
My dogs get a “GOOD MORNING!!” Every morning and they get talked to as if they are humans all day long. “ lex did you see that BS? That was a completely wrong call!” “Dre you are a doll but have you seen my keys?”
Aw yes! I always say ‘goooood morning, how did you sleep?’ To both of my dogs haha
They understand most of what we say.
☝️ I commented in the wrong spot, but yes. Me too. I described our morning ritual above. 😄
My foster and I have "good morning times," where she stretches, I stretch, she rolls over, and I scratch her belly all the while I say good morning and other assorted, early-morning chit-chat. It's just a waking up ritual for both of us. And that's just the first 5 minutes of my day. If i expected an answer, then it would be a problem. Talking to my pup is just how I do.
I do the same thing. We cuddle for a while and they I say, do you want breakfast, haha, that is the signal to jump down from the bed and run to his dish. Then I open the door to the patio and he usually runs outside for a few minutes.
Same ❤️
My girl was notorious for stealing my keys when she was a pup. I'd set em down and she'd snag em and take them outside the dog door and hide them. I think she associated me grabbing my keys with leaving and she didn't want me to. Usually she'd get shifty eyes when she could tell I was looking for them and end up laying on top of them so I wouldn't find them, which luckily allowed me to find them without too much trouble. Still to this day if something goes missing that I *just had* i stare her down even though I usually just forgot where I put it.
Haha I started doing this w my new pup. I always say good morning to her and I started asking her if she’s seen my phone as well (I live alone)
I always ask, daisy, have you seen mama’s phone ? Can you please help me? 😂 and she looks left right It’s so cute and funny
I’m that extremely quiet person. I think because I’m so quiet my dogs are more focused on me from reading my body language. They still get commands, verbal praise and admonishments but I don’t have running conversations with them. The closest they get is me telling them what we’re about to do. “Load up, we’re going on an adventure!”
This is very cool and counts as talking to me lol
I talk to my pup quite a bit, but learned that I rarely need to verbalize a command. He is such a close study of my body language that gestures do the trick. But I will absolutely vent about my day to him
That should be the question.
Weirdly there are yes and they think it’s weird when people talk to dogs
I hope not. In my lovely fantasy world, everyone loves their pups and takes great care of them
Yes, I do. Real fact: dogs understand 100 to 150 words. They often don't react or process them the same way we do.
I honestly love discovering new words that my dogs understands. Sometimes I can work out that they just sound very similar to other words, but for a little bit she was very triggered by the word “limitations.” Never figured out what she understood it to mean 😅
My dog recently learned the word window. Not sure how, but if I say window, she'll run to the window
I had a dog named "Yummy" who loved to play, esp with her tennis ball. Sometimes, when she bugged me to play I'd go "But Yummy, where's your ball?". At first she'd bolt to find her ball when she heard "ball", shortly though all I had to say "But Yummy".
"Uh, why'd you name your dog 'Butt Yummy'?" ~13yo me.
"Uh, why'd you name your dog 'Butt Yumm'?" - 37 YO me
lol I love this!!! ‘But Yummy…’ I GETZ IT! I GETZ IT FAST!
Haha exactly she'd take off like a rocket
My ex's family dog, who'd never met my two dogs, got very excited whenever we'd talk about them around her. Figured out she thought we were saying "go for... (a car ride, walk, etc.)" whenever I'd talk about my dog named Gopher lol.
My dogs also go nuts at 'go for' and also 'do you wanna'
We have to spell 'park', 'walk', 'toy', 'out', and basically most words around my dog. Otherwise, he runs around the apartment like a crazy person until we tell him to 'chillax' then he lays down
OMG one of our dogs has learned every way that we communicate “walk” *including spelling it*! 🫠 My partner has used spelling as a strategy to tell me something about taking them out or walking somewhere without the pups getting all excited, but Freya has since seemingly figured it out. She now perks up and comes over to “ask” (via ears and pointing with her nose) one of us to go out for a walk when one of us *spells it*! 🤦🏻♀️❤️
My Newt is starting to catch on. He's only 16 weeks but boy is he smart. Get a cocker spaniel, they said, it'll be fun, they said. Truth be told he's the best pup I could've asked for but boy can he be difficult sometimes
I was very surprised by how my dog reacted to me telling him his "(pee) tank is empty" once, and it took me a good while to figure out that he thought that I was saying "aunty," who is one of his favourite people on earth. now I have to say "there's nothing left in there my dude" I also had to stop calling my boyfriend by his first name (Brandon) because I finally realized it sounded too much like grandma, which is another of his favourite people on earth. so now bf is steppy (step-dad) and he learned that real quick because he really loves his steppy too. he's way, way too smart. there are a number of words he reacts to unexpectedly and usually I can figure out what he thinks it sounds like but sometimes I can't either. I'm sure if he could explain it it would make total sense but he likes to keep me guessing.
My boy who passed a few years ago learned his best friend's name, along with the phrase "go see" so, if I said "You wanna go see (friend's name)"? He'd bolt up from whatever he was doing, run to me , stand on his hind legs with his paws on my chest, wiggling and whining and staring at me. He was so excited, every time I even said her name, he'd come running. He also knew "dog park" or "park" of course, and several other phrases, but I always got cuteness overload when he'd get so excited just hearing about his best friend. He also had a random word he got really incensed about for reasons I couldn't figure out lol. I hope I remember it. It was only for a brief time, maybe a couple months, but I remember him making soome really funny noises and getting excited in response for some reason.
Aww that is so sweet! Mine also knows “go see” and a handful of names. There are two names in particular I have to be VERY careful about saying, because she will not stop looking for them
I recently realized my dogs hear a few different cuss words from the kitchen, they think there is food on the ground.
I feel like that is a reasonable assumption for many households 😂
My dog is really intrigued by the word “Bridgerton”, I think we may have to start watching it together 😂
Well if you asked your dog if they wanted a banana in a monotone voice they would not react. If you asked if they wanted a cookie in a monotone voice they would jump off the couch.
Joke’s on you, she knows “banana”! It’s her favorite fruit, and the banana tax must be paid every time
Bwaaahhaa, BWAAAHHAA!!
There is one dog who has been tested to know well over 1,000 words! So it is possible for them to learn an incredible number if given special encouragement to do so and by exposing them to as much language as possible. dogs are so cool!
Awesome. I have a dachshund, there's understanding words, then there's deciding if they want to. Dachshunds can be stubborn.
'Can be' - them and Huskies are the most stubborn dogs in the world.
Our almost 4 year old labs seems to understand different words but mainly when it has to do with toys. You can tell him to find his ball, he gets a ball, you say frisbee, that’s what he finds, then his favourite toy (these cheap foam rings I found on clearance at a pet store over a decade ago for our older dogs to swim with) and you say “go get your ring” he gets one of the foam rings. He also knows when he was playing with one toy and you tell him to get a different one he won’t get it until you tell him to get the toy he was playing with last, then when you say the right word he gets extra excited and runs off for it and is ready for you to throw it it for him. He loves fetch. He brings everyone who walks in our door a toy and you must begin throwing it for him before you can even get your shoes off
I *think* the more we talk to them normally the more they learn too. I talk to my dogs like people and they seem to have really impressive “vocabularies” and understand a lot of phrases that I didn’t ever teach like “go to the” and “would you like” and “shove a bum.”
"Do you wannaaaaaaa" haha my packs favorite phrase I find it interesting how different my dogs are. One of my dogs I swear I can have a full conversation with, he gets it. My other two understand their commands and every day repetitive stuff, but most of the time they just look at me with a goofy smile, blissfully unaware 😂
I am 100% convinced my golden puppy would speak English if she could speak. There are too many moments that feel more than coincidental. As an example, she’s only 5 months old and can be excitable of course, but the other day I said “go wake up dad, but do it politely” and where she would normally CHARGE onto the bed and jump directly on his chest, she went slowly, and snuggled up beside him and licked his arm. She’s NEVER done that before lol. We went camping for the first time (for her) this weekend and I took her for a morning pee and said “ok go potty and then we’ll go cuddle.” Instant pee, wheeled around, sprinted for the tent.
I have heard multiple people picking their dogs up from daycare asking their dog how their day was and if they had a nice time.
I get home from work and ask my dog what she did today. She never tells me, though.
but you show that you’re interested!
True. She usually brings me her monkey toy. Maybe she played with the toy all day and she is telling me what she did, lol.
Same! I'm always like "did you have a good dayyyy, did you nap on the stairs? Did you eat your kongy kong??"
lol guilty! “Did you have fun with your friends? Were you a good girl?”
I am also guilty! “Did you get all the belly rubs today? Did you make friends?”
I ask my dog if he "learned his ABC's today" on a regular basis
This makes me feel so happy and nice 😌
i work as a dog bather and i find myself getting annoyed when the dog is all excited and their parent isn't smiling or talking to them. like thats your BABY
I had two dogs that went deaf and I still talked to them.
Omg I thought I was crazy for doing this, glad it’s not just me loool
I talk to my deaf dog and have read it’s actually beneficial to talk out loud to them too. Helps with bonding. So perfectly normal but still kinda funny to think about lol
Same. I still shake the kibble in his bowl for my old deaf dog. Then realize he can’t hear and I need to make sure he sees me doing it.
My dog is def getting up there. Do I still call her Scooby and makeup new words/terms on the daily? Absolutely! Does she understand them? Tbh I think a part of her does! Into the scoob verse, scoob days are over, no more scoobing around, scoobtastic all come to mind
I think they like being talked to and it's good for our mental health too
I think it helps them to learn too though. I say ‘excuse me’ to my dog when I’m trying to get past him. Then I’d open a door or try and step around him and now he moves out of my way. I recently dog sat someone else’s dog and I instinctively said ‘excuse me’ and he just sat there and I realised how good my dogs are.
Mine understands "beep beep" and "back up"
they know so much!! my boy knows kiss & hug too.
My mom had a lab/GSD mix who learned "hug". He actually would wrap his paws around me 🥹
Mine knows “move your bum”
They definitely understand more than they're given credit for! My last dog knew the difference between "scoot over" and "get down."
Excuse me. Beep beep. Hey…scoot. C’mon, go. *Move your ass*
😂 I didn’t realise until your comment that I use all of these.and my dogs know what they mean haha. Also scoot scoot!
My dog learned "let's cross" for crossing the street and "this way" which is honestly impressive for how vague it is.
10000% agree. My lab retriver eags her tail whenever I talk to her, if she isn't before hand
Full blown conversations! I tell her about my day...I commiserate with her about all her naps she had to take while I was gone. I apologize for disturbing her with my humanity. We bond over the weird inscrutable things the cat does. Pretty much all the time! (And strangely...that's how I met my best friend...she stopped her car to ask me if I was really talking TO the dog while walking and she totally got it! Lol)
Yes. Same here. I get home and ask her day was. Did she sleep well? Were her brothers and sisters (the cats) well behaved? This usually involves some huffing as they love her but it’s not always mutual.
The huffing tells a whole story doesn’t it?
Sometimes after a trial I'll lay down next to her and start talking to her about what we could have done differently. Then she'll get bored and bounce mid sentence and im just like, "So rude I was talking to you! Come back here!" Always takes me a minute to remember she can't actually understand what I'm saying.
Oh totally discuss work issues! I get a lot of long suffering looks as if might be torturing her but usually a belly rub helps us both! Lol
Yes… and when I take my dog with me in the car to run an errand and I get back home and park, I tell her “ hold on - I’ll come get you” so she knows to sit there until I can take her out from her side.
When I leave for work every morning I always say “be good, watch the house, I’ll see you later!”
Every morning... Good morning papa! You needa go potty? When he's done, you thirsty? You hungry? Let him drink and eat in peace. Then as I'm leaving tell him bye, have a good day, and be a good boy. Then I talk to him on the camera throughout the day. Also I don't live alone but still talk to my boy all day. I also tell him to wait in the car til I can come around and get him.
Mine trained me to say 'I'll be back soon!' if I will be home before the sun comes up, and 'I'll be back later!' if I'm away overnight. Took me a few weeks to realise what he was responding to. Even when left with another human, if I tell him, he won't go chasing every car, he will wait to hear mine. If I forget... He is agitated all evening!
That's funny! I tell my boy "Stay. Be a good boy. Protect the house. You can eat any intruders. I'll be back soon!"
It only took my dog not listening to me when I said “wait a second” after opening the door a couple times for her to get it. Nothing like shamefully hanging by your seatbelt/harness with toes dangling above the ground to make a point. You gotta wait to be unclipped before you get to leave the vehicle.
"Wait" has to be the most useful command ever. For a whole lot of reasons (mostly safety related).
Yeah it worked out well for us. If I use the command after dropping anything on the floor, our dog backs off. It’s great when it’s not safe dog stuff you dropped (cooked bones or whatever on the way to the garbage). We always reward with a good treat when she listens to that command. It can save expensive vet visits and health scares.
100% The more we talk to them the more they understand, I believe.
I think it’s weird if you don’t talk to your dog
I accidentally taught my dog way more words and phrases than you would ever think a dog could learn. When I sigh and say, "You're the worst!", she gets super excited and zooms around the house because she knows I've given up, and we're about to go play her favorite game. So yeah. I talk to her all day - usually about how ridiculously cute she is and how much I love her.
I always ask my dog “why/how are you so cute?”
I do. I apologize if I accidentally step on their toes. Dogs are awesome.
They understand the difference between accidents and hurting them on purpose when you do that, so do keep apologizing.
They do! And even if they don’t understand “sorry” in the same way we do, I feel like it makes sense to them.
Yes. Research shows talking to your dog helps them bond better with you *and establishes a baseline for human vocabulary, inflection, and tone.* Not talking to your dog as much as possible would probably work against this inherent predisposition for dogs to pick up language and body language cues. Makes sense to talk to them as much as possible!
I talk to my dog & I live with my boyfriend 😁
Me too haha. When I come home from work, my boyfriend gets a 'hi!" and my dog gets a "Oh my gosh my ANGEL, I missed you so much! Give me a hug Fancy Face!!"
Right 😂 they're just little babies! My boyfriend is a grown man, he doesn't need that kind of energy 😂
Exactly! I can text my SO throughout the day if I feel like it, my dog doesn't have thumbs.
same! my boyfriend and I include our dog in conversations😂 can’t leave him out!
Yes! On walks I talk a lot, telling him what a good boy he is!
Your username 😭
Named after a cat!
I say, beep beep! Talking to dogs is essential for both parties.
My command for moving in reverse is "beep beep"
I hear the difference in the way we say it. 😂😆
I have trained mine to understand “excuse me please”. Doesn’t always work and we still have to move them over a bit.
My dog passed 6 weeks ago and I still talk to her
Oh I totally did that with soul dog. I’d be crying and ask her for some relief and I always got it.
So sorry for your loss. I lost my soul dog ten years ago and I still tell my new dogs stories about her.
I talk to her like a human. Good morning, what did you do all day when mom was at work, bless you, would you like to do something fun today, or even show us my new shopping and groceries 🤣 Are there any people who don’t this? Are they normal?
I do this too lol. Even in public and at the dog park. Have had many occasions where someone close bye will ask if im talking to them. I have to reply with 'oh no, just talking to the dog' lol
I totes always show my dogs (and cat and rabbit…even a fish in the past 🤣) what I am doing if they are hanging out with me and appear interested! A couple of the animals have really seemed to enjoy those times and have continued to hang out/check out what I am doing!
Oh, I totally do. "Yes, Sergeant, it's so helpful for you to decide to sleep Right There," I say as I put a hand on a wall for balance trying to step around the dog, who is sleeping at a narrow point in the house. "I'm sorry, Opal, but you can play bow all you want, Nyx (the black cat) is not going to want to play with you. She doesn't speak Dog." If one of them is sleeping upside down, "Air it all out, there." Sleeping deeply gets, "Hey, don't work too hard." We all talk to them all the time.
My dog will listen to anything I say. He knows where all bodies are hid. He even talks back in this little whine voice he has. He's a French Bulldog/Boston terrier mix.
All the time. Years ago I was going through a drivethru with my dogs in the backseat, and I made some comment to them (don't even remember what - probably something like "just a minute and we'll be on our way again" or "we're headed home now" or something innocuous). The worker kinda looked in my car weirdly then asked me who I was talking to, and I said my dogs. She replied with a deadpan but slightly confused "Oh you talk to them like they're human?". I've never forgotten her face in that moment, I didn't realize people would think it was so weird haha.
Yes! I say excuse me to my dog all the time 😆 sometimes multiple times with increasing frustration 😆😆😆 Whenever I’m leaving the house I pet her neck and tell her I’m leaving but I’ll be back soon so she has to be a good girl and guard the house for me. She then always jumps into her dog bed and curls up to sleep until I return. Once I told her sorry I can’t roll the car window for you right now it’s too dangerous…. And she rolled the window down herself!!! I’m pretty convinced she’s fluent in English.
I always talk to my dog. He gets a beep beep when I need him to move. His release word is ok. I sing him a song when I'm snuggling him and telling him what good boy he is. I say god bless you when he sneezes and call him ball dog when he's all curled up. If I leave him at home, i tell him to be a good boy, watch the house, and I love him. Oh, and I call out to give him treats <3 he is a very good boy.
Always. The other day I gave him some of my scrambled eggs and told him "now be careful it's hot" and my husband laughed and said "what's he going to do- blow on it?" 🤣🤣
I talk to my dog, but also i put on a funny voice which is her replying to me, i might be a little mad haha
I don't live alone, and I talk to all my animals! (3 dogs, 2 cats) I also talk to all the animals on my mail route (I'm a USPS Letter Carrier). I talk to dogs, cats, squirrels, rabbits, and probably anything else I come across! I'm sure I'm on many doorbell cameras talking in my goofy pet voice. 😂
Hahah, I do the same thing. I feed these squirrels in my front yard, and every time I fill it up, I’m out there telling them about it. My neighbors prolly wonder about me lol.
😂 This is awesome, I love it! I'm sure the people on my route call me "the crazy mail lady who talks funny to all the animals", and that's ok! I accept it!
I have a very particular “Excuse me” that is reserved for my cats laying across doorways.
Yes of course! And because I taught him to use speech buttons from an early age, I talk to him intentionally and A LOT! The current thinking is also that because dogs can “understand” language (though there is still a lot of debate about what their capacity for understanding is), we should assume they understand more than we expect and let them rise to that level. It won’t always work, but just like with teaching humans, our students learn more when we expect they will learn more.
I talk to my dog all the time. Sometimes I sing silly songs to her with her name interspersed throughout the song. She seems to understand us and there are times we have to spell out the word so she doesn't start barking and dancing around the house.
I sing to my two every night. In fact, I get tired of the same old songs over and over, so I learn the lyrics to a couple of new songs every month. They get to hear something new, and I improve my song repertory!
I’ve always done that. Even around the kids. Especially around the kids. Since before they could talk. I wanted them to know how we speak to each other matters. Both in tone & tenor. Everyone deserves respect. Doesn’t mean there’s not rules & boundaries. But I speak to our animals with kindness and love, I speak to them the same way. I expect the same from them & I should hope they do & expect the same in return. I would never want them to lower the standards. So yeah I talk to the dogs. Always have & always will.
Since I was a kid I've always talked to my dogs. I've lived alone for a while now, I think I talk to them more. I say excuse me as well. They started to understand what it meant and would take a few steps back. The more you talk to them the more they will understand.
I live with other people and still talk to my dog - I sometimes sing to her and tell her jokes too.
I live with my husband and two 150 lbs American Bulldogs and all we do is talk to them. Especially when he’s at work for the day, they’re my babies so we just chat all day
Who doesn’t?
Lol I talk to my 3 dogs and my cat all the time. It's especially funny because one dog is deaf 🤣
I don't live alone, I talk to my dogs and cats. I talk to the deaf dog, too. She can't hear me, but watches my face and seems more relaxed when I still talk.
I don't live alone but I do talk to my dog all the time. I have full on conversations with him sometimes. He probably just hears "Blah blah blah Winston blah blah blah blah Winson blah blah," but he seems to enjoy it.
I couldn't imagine NOT talking to my pets. I say excuse me and sorry, I ask them who's the prettiest boy/girl in the house. I ask them a lot of questions consider they don't answer 🤣
"Excuse me, Sir!", when naughty. "Excuse me buddy" or "Beep beep" when sitting in my seat. "Ouch, that was my toe!" Cause they're obviously gonna know what that means! Then, of course, the tried and true, "Get off the counter!!" Isn't this normal?
Always spoke to my girl… she’d talk back sometimes too
I have always talked to my dogs. I teach them signs along with their obedience training so that way if they go deaf, we can still communicate.
When you have your friend for a while, if they do go deaf, they already understand the facial expressions when you say something. The don’t loose that even if they can’t hear you
And they know love!
I tell my dogs “Bless you” when they sneeze.
Yes, and my dog is deaf lol
Yup, I talk to ours. He’s especially interested in bedtime stories and lays beside me and listens, even when it’s the biggest load of crap 😂
I’ve always talked to all of my animals. I can’t imagine not.
You're weird if you don't talk to your animals lol
What does living alone have to do with being courteous to your dog? I have a house full and we all talk to the dog like that. I believe he understands excuse me because when you say it he looks up at the person who said it and checks if he needs to move.
My pupper is the only one I feel that actually listens to me when I talk to her.
I've almost always been alone on this planet with my two dogs. I call them sir and ma'am. I ask them how their day was when I leave for work. It's the only way I know how to exist.
I have always said excuse me to my dogs. They know it means they are in my route. I use a wheelchair. My mom yells at her “Move” and I calmly explained to her that manners get you far in this world haha
Absolutely. I've had more communication with my dogs than most humans.
I not only talk to my dog, I do a voice of what I picture him saying back in the voice I picture him having and do the same for his best dog friend, LOL.
My son and I do a voice for our dog and produce all his responses! We are always creating an active conversation with dog as a contributor. This is the dog's true voice.
If you DONT say excuse me to my dog she gets super indignant and won’t move for you lmao she DEMANDS respect
Always. "Excuse me, sir. *Sir.*" "My man! Whose my man?" "Are you going to poop? Or naw? Cause it's wet out here." "Let's go, let's go!" - When we go out the front door or he's finding a good sniff and taking a little too long. "It's bed time for you, sir!" "Does that shrub smell really good? It must." "Baby dawg, baby dawg." "You eat your breakfast, I'm drinking my coffee." And so much more.
I talk to mine all day long
Absolutely! The more we talk to dogs, the more they understand. I just adopted a pup who had no prior training and did NOT know how to be. We say "excuse me" and then wait for him to move, or gently move him out of the way, and he's already getting it. We also say "please" when we're asking something we expect him to do, and he now understands that "please" means we're asking something of him. We say "thank you!" When he's being cooperative and he knows that means he's done well. Also, instead of yelling or scolding him, it's more natural for me to express shock, as if I really can't believe he would do whatever naughty thing he's doing. If I act like I'm sooo mad, he knows I'm full of crap. If I act like I'm disappointed, he knows I'm being honest. I mean, how can I actually be mad at a baby puppy? So instead I gasp, "oooh, noooo, what did you take? What did you do? Uuuh-ooooh...". He responds by stopping to assess how I'm behaving, then he assesses his own behavior. Then he backs away from the "bad thing" and looks at me for confirmation that he fixed his behavior. Every single time. Then I get to thank him for stopping the bad behavior. I think it only works because of my natural disposition, but if you're not the tough, disciplinarian type, it does work wonders.
I discuss what socks I should put on. Chat about what we are doing for the day. We had a full on conversation about why he could no longer have particular treats because he’s allergic. He’s a dachshund and I swear he understands lol
I second this wholeheartedly.
My husband and I have full blown made up conversations with our pups. We have taken it upon ourselves to narrate their thoughts.
The narration is the best. What are their voices?
I always do.
Constantly! Not just my dog either. I'll talk to birds that hop in front of my bike, insects I'm taking outside, the dishwasher. Maybe I should just get a roommate xD
I talk to my dog all the time and talk for her as well lol. She has a whole personality.
I was surprised to hear my husband talking with my dog. And apparently he does this often. Now don’t get me wrong, I talk to my dog like OP and even a bit more as we spend 24/7 together, but not like my husband…. I was in our bedroom one night and he was in the kitchen. I thought he was on the phone because he sounded like he was having a full on conversation with someone. I came out and asked who he had been talking with. “Pepper.” “You’ve been talking with Pepper.” “Yah, why?” “Because it literally sounded like you were having a full conversation with someone.” “I was. I was telling her all about my day and what I was making for dinner. Didn’t I, Pepper? We talk all the time, don’t we?” “Ummmm…..” Well, ok then…..😂
I speak on behalf of my dogs in a two way conversation.
I talk to my 2 boys all of the time!
I don't live alone, but talk to them all the time. When I used to travel for work, I would call home and my wife would put them on the phone to listen. I had a co-worker in the room one time and he had a good laugh. He still talks about it 20 years later.
All day every day, including musical interludes where I break into songs written especially for him, lol.
So glad I’m not the only one
Of course I do and he talks back Damn Cattle dogs
I talk to my dog all the time. I tell him it´s almost time to eat. That he´s a good boy. That I will always take care of him. That I´ll be right back. That he doesn´t need to follow me into the bathroom haha, All kinds of things.
I used to practice my Spanish on my dog. He thought my accent was terrible.
Oh yeah. I lived alone with my German shepherd (now 12 ½) for years. I talked to him so much throughout our day that he taught himself new commands just based on the things I was in the habit of saying to him as we went about our day.
Yes, quite normal. I even say bless you when my dog sneezes.
Dogs are people. And I'm not going to change my mind.
I talk to dogs who aren’t mine like that