I’ve been reading some interesting studies on talking dogs recently. You’ll find the links in RESOURCES below.
(Don’t worry - I’m not expecting you to plough through a doctoral thesis - though you can if you like! There are very good Abstracts that give you the speedy details.)
In one, Chaser
🐶 learned and retained the names of 1022 toys. (Over a thousand!!)
🐶 She demonstrated independence of meaning of names and commands.
🐶 She learned common nouns that represented categories.
🐶 She learned words by inferential reasoning by exclusion.
🐶 She demonstrated referential understanding of nouns.
And in the other, Rico
🐶 learned 200 words
🐶 He learned new words by “fast mapping” - on one exposure.
🐶 This system was previously thought exclusive to humans.
Well, both Rico and Chaser are Border Collies 😊 - but that does not mean that other dogs cannot do the same! Once you open this door in their mind, ANY dog can start learning.
I’m teaching Yannick to communicate using our words (more upcoming in future posts!) - a process practiced by every kind of pet dog and cat, horses, goats, and guinea pigs.
We’re not as clever as we thought we were!
Or, rather, animals are a lot cleverer than we’ve ever given them credit for.
The studies mentioned indicate that their subject animals can communicate clearly, using words we give them. They clearly understand the words’ meanings and use them correctly.
How can I get my dog to “speak”?
Be sure you’re not confusing him.
If you want to refer to his favourite green teddy bear, choose ONE name for it - “Ted”, for instance.
Not “Where’s your green toy?” “Get your bear,” “Find Teddy,” etc.
Speak the word slowly and clearly to start with, and always make it the same word. You can layer on as much feeling to these words as you like! “Find Ted!!”
In other words?
Now that doesn’t mean you can’t chat to your dog!
An example: If I say SIT, and no sit happens - rather than repeating the word and nagging, I’m likely to say quietly, “What should you be doing?”
This is simply a way to get the dog to focus and remember that he was asked to sit.
And so much better than “Sit, SIT, I said SIT!” etc.
You’ll see from a quick glance at the abstract of the studies listed in RESOURCES below, that dogs can have a phenomenal grasp of language.
If you speak to your dog as if he were a toddler, maybe about 3, you’ll do fine!
Let clarity be your watchword.
And remember that this is a two-way process - you have to make space so you can listen to your dog.
Teaching your dog through play
The quickest way to get started with this is through play. With you.
Play is so important to our dogs! We can use it wherever possible to teach.
Your dog will be fully engaged and eager to work out the game with you.
Now, I can’t guarantee that there’ll be any green teddy bears, but you’ll find a splendid selection of interactive play toys here.
What’s more, I’ve arranged for Brilliant Family Dog readers to get a discount on their first purchase!
What about your dog?
I’d love to hear about your dog’s communication skills! Comment below …
RESOURCES: