I don’t mean the usual “come, sit, stay” stuff that most dogs can learn … I mean stuff they have never been taught but appear to have picked up like a person would pick up a language.
Im convinced my dog has picked up basic English. I can talk to her in the way id talk to a person and she seems to know exactly what I mean - obviously I don’t mean I discuss politics with her 😂 or she talks back to me etc … I’m not totally nuts …
but for example if she’s chewing her bone on a hard surface and making a racket I’ll say “move that onto the carpet Margaret” and she’ll immediately pick it up and move it onto the carpet. She’s never been taught this, I don’t even know how it happened. I’ve just gotten so used to it that when other people act surprised I’m reminded of how it maybe isn’t normal?!
Just now I was sat and she was sprawled across me but I couldn’t find the remote so I said to her “just get up a minute so I can find the remote” so she stood up, waited until I got the remote and then came back. I’ve never had a dog that seems to understand normal communication like this, my other dog doesn’t.
AIBU to think certain dogs of the intelligent kind can actually pick up the basics of a language that goes beyond “commands”?