how many words do you think your dog recognises?

[nouveaupauvre]

apart obviously from its name and the basic commands - what can they pick out of your conversation? our lab seems to have learnt the words "breakfast", "feed x", "dinner" (have you noticed a theme yet? ) and "yucky tins" (what ds calls his tins of dogfood), given by the enthusiasm with which he responds when hearing any of them
he also seems to know "lead", in that if i say to ds "im just going to get his lead" the dog will sprint off and look for it.
just wondering how much language dogs are capable of learning? given that ours is, to all intents and purposes, generally quite thick.

[StripeyKnickersSpottySocks]

Mine knows;

1. her name
   
2. Lie down
   
3. Biscuit
   
4. wee wee
   
5. No

[Tortoise]

Mine understands:
Bed
Wee wee
Walkies
Dinner
In
Leave it (But doesn't often take a blind bit of notice lol!)

[Mamazon]

his name
Sit
Bed

he's a cocker spaniel and i suspect a little bit thick.

[purpleduck]

OOOh, tons
Sit
pretty (sit up and beg )
lie down
go see (go to where the kids are)
spin
paw
other paw ( for treats)
um....

But mine can spell...they know "O-U-T"

[chickchickchickee]

Mine knows:
his name
down
sit
back (as he'll take steps back)
leave it
come
find x (name a toy or person he knows and he'll find it/them in a house/field)
wait
stay
stand
paw and "other one" (for R and L)
kiss
spin
bow
speak
kill it (for shaking a toy like a rat)
off
hup (when pointing to an object he'll jump on it)
over (again for an object, he'll go over it)
here (when pointing to a spot he'll put something there)
under
bed
weave

He will also respond to come, here, sit, down and paw in french. I think there are other commands too, but I can't think of them right now.

he is a 2yr old Border Collie

[purpleduck]

oh, and if I try to be coy and ask dh "Have you taken the you know who's you know where?"
Their ears perk up

[ingles2]

another thick cocker here
she knows all the basic commands and her name but other than that just
ball and
paw

[Tortoise]

Oh BTW mine is a rather thick greyhound. Sit is no good because he never sits!

[LittleMissNorty]

We have a lab and his main words are

• dinner
• treat
• food
• bonio
• bone
• walk
• park
• swimming
• beach

Also a couple of theme's going on there

as well as the usual sit / down / kill (moths and spiders / get daddy / who's that / cat / where's your ball

[purpleduck]

"He will also respond to come, here, sit, down and paw in french"

Yeah, well, mine knows latin!!! and can speak sign language!!!

[moosemama]

Mine knows

Sit
Down
Off (as in get off or get down)
Twirl
Through
Touch paw
Touch nose
Tiptoes
Roll
Sneeze
Heel
Steady
Close
Fetch
Leave
Wait
Find it
Shake
Speak
Quiet
Bed
Up
Stand
Paw (and Other One for other paw)
Walk back
Back through
Behind
DH's name
Other 2 dogs' names

She can also spell d-i-n-n-e-r and o-u-t.

Most of the words she knows from heelwork-to-music though. She is an 11 year old Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier.

[valhala]

My GSD can spell! His favourite toy is a rope tug, which he drops on my lap or puts in my hands to be thrown. He's not been taught to return it, he just does, and will drop it into my hand for another go. This goes on... and on... and on....

Its got to the stage where we can't say the word "Tug" because he will be there, tug in mouth, dropping it onto my laptop or book, although I may be too busy to engage in a never-ending game. So, when we saw him looking for one of his tugs we would say "He's looking for his T-U-G" in the hope that he wouldn't understand.

Like heck he doesn't! Spell out "T-U-G" and Chezzie is there, tug in mouth, waiting for a game, dropping it onto my lap! If that doesn't work he will pick it up off my lap and drop it back on to reinforce his request.

Tell me, just how come my dog can spell?!

[pickyvic]

mine knows food, thats his only motivation!....i swear he would say "feed me" much like the sausages dog on thats life. he kicks his food bowl about when hungry which makes me think he is probably actually cleverer than i ever give him credit for, but he must just pretend to be thick as two short planks. he just looks at me whenever i try and illicit any kind of response through verbal commands. he is cute though. hes a cavalier king charles. our vet calls him lawrence luellen bowen as she thinks he looks like him. says it all really!

[moosemama]

I know she can't really spell. I'm not that daft! Sheez can't a girl make a joke round 'ere.

[moosemama]

Yep, that's about the size of it themildmanneredjanitor!

[JudgeDreadworm]

My lovely dog understands 'Bedtime DS2': he hurls himself upstairs because he knows that we will take a carrot to DS2's guinea pig in the bedroom, and each evening he has the unshakeable belief that we will finally give him permission to slaughter the guinea pig.

He also understands me when I say any words to the effect that I am going to bed. He will stand up and stretch and put himself into his own bed.

And he understands the log-off noise on the computer. He will jump up and rush to the front door when he hears it, because it is a signal that I will be off to pick DS2 up from school.

[wildfig]

My dog (a hound, not one of your super intelligent collie types, admittedly) understands 'bedtime', 'off', 'wait' and 'in' - but she is so advanced that she has mastered the art of sarcasm and ignores all of them at her discretion.

She can, however, detect the microscopic change in air pressure caused by the fridge door opening (silently) and materialises behind me, not matter where she is in the house. 'Food-motivated' doesn't even begin to cover it.