vocabulary
When I took JJ to the vet yesterday I asked what the average is and they told me 8-12 words. Well, JJ knows well over 20 and I wondered if this was unusual. (I really don't think the vet believed me when I told her) 
www.jinglejanglecook.blogspot.com |
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| Once you start counting how many words and sounds your dogs can recognize, you'll be surprised.
Ours respond to about 40 different words. |
I've never counted, but now I'm curious!  I'll have to pay attention and see how many he knows. |
| I don't know how many words she recognizes without counting, but I do know there are some words that we can no longer say - we have to spell! And even then, she knows some of them!! Includes "go out," "bye-bye," "boney," "swimmy." She's one smart cookie!!
Chris |
| I'm not sure but I know "no" isn't one of them! |
ButtersStotch wrote: I'm not sure but I know "no" isn't one of them!
Made me snort out loud |
| You mean he doesn't understand every word I say???????????? |
Man, I have whole converations with Lucy and I think she's actually given me advice on some major life decisions 
Lucy's a very vocal dog, no matter what you say to her, she'll say something back. Her sounds are very identifiable too - outside, hungry, annoyed, want attention, get Clyde away from me! They're all very distinct. Sometimes she just lies there and makes noise too, which can be really annoying when you're trying to watch tv or read. If she knows I'm upset, she'll come right up in my face and kiss me and if I tell her what's wrong, she'll wait for me to pause and make this noise that sounds like Umm hmm, like she's telling me to go on and get it all out. She's so cute! I don't know about words with Clyde but he's gotten really quick to associate certain sounds with different things that benefit him-- like the faucet means water and the ice machine means ice or the microwave means food-- it may not be for him but he always hopes! On a related subject to my post but not really to this thread. Clyde is 7 1/2 months old now and I've not broken down and fed him table food! I feel like an addict out of rehab. It's been 210 days since I've last fed a dog... I'm really bad about table feeding because I'm picky so I'm always picking something off or ripping something off so Lucy eats my food all the time. I used to actually just split my plate and half and sit at the coffee table to eat and she'd eat off her half and I'd eat off mine. Believe it or not, that actually worked and she never touched my side. Now I'm trying not to set a bad example for Clyde so I sneak Lucy stuff when he's not looking but no more eating at the table together! |
| Butterstoch.........you will never regret not feeding at the table. Tasker has never has so much as a scrap of table food in 8 years. We can sit at the coffee table or dinner table and eat without being pestered or having him beg for food. If he's hanging around (and he usually is) it is because he wants to be close not because he wants food. I can leave a plate on the coffee table and he doesn't pay it any attention. Now I'm not saying he has never countersurfed or that I would trust him with a slab of meat on the coutner but he is very well behaved when people are eating and I have never regretted my decision. |
| Only 8-12? I figured it would have been a lot more. Jasper is still a baby, and he tends to have selective hearing most of the time, lol I had a German Shepherd and a mini. schnauzer, and they were both SO smart. They understood so many words. Both of them knew their commands in English, German, and sign language. I'm doing the sign lanugage with Jasper when I teach him tricks, but I don't know if he's picked up on that yet.
ButtersStotch....Jasper hasn't really had table foods either. He stole some chocolate and chicken, but that's about it. I did try to give him scrambled eggs when I read on here how it was good for his coat, and he turned his nose up at it. Oh well, at least I tried. |
| Ironically, even though I feel Lucy table food, she never begs and NEVER takes anything without first being given permission. She's like a little person-- even better most of the time! |
 What a good sheepie!!! |
Lol. Lucy's not a sheepie-- at least not an OES. She's Briard/Bearded Collie. 
Clyde, the sheepie, will eat anything in sight!  |
| I never gave Mopsy "people" food until a few years ago and now she is a shameless beggar but only with me. Of course I've never fed her from the table so she doesn't beg there. But couch eating is open territory. Mopsy likes fruit and will even eat salad. How stupid is that? The dog I had growing up never ate lettuce. |
| Here is an interesting article about a border collie who recognizes at least 200 words...
http://wired-vig.wired.com/news/technol ... 92,00.html And another article about dogs understanding human language, stating the older books indicate dogs understand about six hundred words, and that belief has been changing to include far more. http://www.dancingbadger.com/dogwords.htm |
| Charlie also has selective hearing and understands probably most of what I say to him. The most ridiculous thing about him though is that he does not respond to commands I speak in English to him. When I speak his commands in German, he obeys. FYI - I don't speak German anytime at home - ever - except for that. I thought that maybe it is because the language has a harsh tone?!?! |
| It's gotten so bad that we now have to spell words when Farley is in ear shot, e.g., D-O-G-P-A-R-K, C-A-R, W-A-L-K. Let me think ... he knows the standard ones ... no, leave it, go, out, breakfast/dinner (all meals are an event not to be missed!), baby (all toys, including balls and slippers, are called babies), get, sit, down, flat (a command used for grooming his belly) and I'm pretty sure there are lots more.
The one that I really need to start working him on this month is "hold" for showing purposes. I should just quit my job and become a home body but then again maybe I should just S-I-T-S-T-A-Y! |
| If for showing, you may want to stick with the word stand, as that is what every single person at the show was saying, that I heard. I had been using the word stand as the command for standing still in stacked position, but I noticed Sky responded if the person in front of us was saying it to their dog too. If it was a different word I wonder what she would have made of it? LOL |
| Zoey knows many many words. But she has different definitions for most of them than us humans, for instance:
human..................zoey sit.........................sit paw.......................paw stop......................run and jump at you down....................stare at owner with disbelief, continue previous activity heel......................run to end of leash till it jerks you back heel heel............. run in huge circle till leash swings you like a centrifuge quiet.....................bark at every car that moves SHUT UP !!!..........bark at every car, whether it moves or not No........................I don't know this word, probably means "good girl" Come...................If I see a treat I might go to him, otherwise, lay down And the list goes on. |
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Quote: Zoey knows many many words. But she has different definitions for most of them than us humans, for instance:
human..................zoey sit.........................sit paw.......................paw stop......................run and jump at you down....................stare at owner with disbelief, continue previous activity heel......................run to end of leash till it jerks you back heel heel............. run in huge circle till leash swings you like a centrifuge quiet.....................bark at every car that moves SHUT UP !!!..........bark at every car, whether it moves or not No........................I don't know this word, probably means "good girl" Come...................If I see a treat I might go to him, otherwise, lay down And the list goes on. |
JakobandBrandonsmom wrote: Only 8-12? I figured it would have been a lot more.
I have heard a much higher number. I probably have at least ten ways of saying NO: no, uh-uh. hey!, out, down, off, MARLEY!!!!!, stop-it..... Okay maybe that's why they don't always listen |
| Great question!
I'd have to count but the list is huge! Nouns: Mulligan Rope Toy Bone Leash Car ................ Walk ................ (may be part) Ride ................. (of "GO" verb) Park................ Girlfriends Mailman RXXXXXX (Mailman's name) KBBBBBB (Neighbor's name) JXXXXXX (Neighbor's name) DXXXXXX (Neighbor's name) Uncle GXXXX Auntie RXXXX Grandpa Mommy Daddy DISH !!!! (Newest noun) Cookie Dinner Breakfast (Joan tells me, but I'm not sure!) Lunch (Ditto) Verbs: LEAVE IT Go (Ride, Car, walk, park) Go Pee Go Potty Get / Get it (This may be two separate commands, not sure) Where is Collar (present neck for leash hookup) Speak Growl Sit Stand Lie down (or just down) Stay Paw Back Paw Other Paw High Five Wait Bite Easy Lemme see your eyes OK!!! (master release word) Wanna?/You Wanna? (This REALLY gets his attention to listen to the next word, as in You wanna go for a ride, or You wanna cookie? If you want my dog's attention, say "You wanna?") Whozat? Make room (This is the coolest and newest! If you tell him to "make room" he will get up from where he is lying down and resettle himself, giving you the chance to get into the bed, or get out of the chair/sofa (when he's parked himself under your feet) I'm sure there are more.... Word/phrase/command most likely ignored and/or forgotten after 32 seconds: OUT OF THE KITCHEN!!! |
WOW Ron, Mullie is a very articulate guy! 
I have to ask, though..."Girlfriends"???  |
| My wife and I were talking about our near-future decision on adopting an OES the other night and our 14 year old dog ended up sulking all the rest of the night. I'm pretty convinced she understood every word and was quoting Monte Python's "I'm NOT dead yet!" over and over in her head. |
| Here's our dog's list:
No Ok Sit Stay Wait Down Allthewaydown (lay over on your side for grooming) Gentle Off Carrots Cookie Treats Breakfast Dinner Outside? Gototheyard! Studio Car Outtathekitchen! Chewytoy Leave It Bedtime Bobtails, UP! Bobtails, DOWN....these two are for up, or down the stairs...they know that the addition of "bobtails" means both of them together. Daddy Mommy Auntie Grandma Grandpa Slow Uptrail (go out ahead when walking) Come (I'll be honest here, and admit that while they KNOW what this means, they feel its highly optional  ) |
| Lets see Obe knows:
Sit Down Stay Come Now ( Ok I hear you) Wanna Eat/Lets Eat Treat Yogurt Ball Where's your toy Outside Go the bathroom Hurry up No Get down Go for a ride Load up Leave it Drop it Go lay down Wanna Bath (run the other direction) Groomers Name There is your Daddy. Baby (cats name) Topper (best friends name) He does understand ALL of these words. Due to the sheepie selective hearing trait, some have to be repeated more than once. |
ButtersStotch wrote: I'm not sure but I know "no" isn't one of them!
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| Wow, that's hard to count. They understand a lot, most of them in Hungarian and a lot of them in English. Here are some they know in both languages.
Sit Down Come Hold on/Wait Stay Daddy Is Daddy coming home? Where is Daddy? Outside Immediately Biscuit/"B" Outside Do you want to....? Go Let's go Kong Where is your Kong? These are the words they only understand in Hungarian. Breakfast Dinner eat Ice-cream sour cream yogurt Cat Squirrel OMG! - they run to the window to look out for I don't know what.
Woods P....Beach Weezer - Lumpi's best friend Dog park Go away - move out of my way right now Get back Are you deaf? Are you crazy? Are you out of your mind? Go to your place! Do you know what time it is? - I ask them this at 5:15pm when they come to me to let me know it is nearly 6:00pm, dinner time.
Leave it Drop it Slower hurry up mailman Go Pee Go Poo Goo boy Don't growl quiet Play nicely Gently Tricks: right paw left paw roll over turn around pray - play bow speak - bark I can't think of any more right now... 
I forgotten to say "NO". They understand that in both languages.  |
| Great lists!
ravenmoonart wrote: I have to ask, though..."Girlfriends"??? Oh yes! He has several women he meets on walks that he knows as his girlfriends. I think they used to (or still do) walk together frequently. |
| These are great lists. I've never really stopped to count all the individual words that are recognized. Phoebe speaks in sentences
"Are you having breakfast today?" "Don't lick me" and the ever popular "Excuse Me" (She lies in front of the refrigerator) The best dog for language that I've ever known, though, was my first sheepie. She understood an amazing amount of what was said. She heard the words in the context of a normal conversation (whether or not it included her) and spelling didn't deter her in the slightest. She was able to put words together. She knew "Go get" and if she recognized what came next she would go get it. Once, while babysitting my sister in laws Doberman puppy who was an accomplished excape artist, I told her "Go Get Shadow" and she did. She took off down the lane and about five minutes later came back holding Shadow by the scruff of his neck. She shook him and grr'd and tossed him down. Then she picked him up and repeated it all the way to the back yard. Shadow never charged a gate again in his life. I've always translated those particular grr's as "Don't you make me come out here after you again" |
| Teddy understands many words but when he wants my attention says "mama". I thought I was just being a proud OES parent until my daughter came into the room, very surprised, and said "He just called you mama!" |
Quote: Teddy understands many words but when he wants my attention says "mama". I thought I was just being a proud OES parent until my daughter came into the room, very surprised, and said "He just called you mama!"
Wow, he can say mama??!! It would be great if you could post a video of that. |
| In addition to some of the words already listed, we can add to the list:
Time to get up (out of bed in the morning) Let's go to bed (usually on couch when I say it) Left (when we run or ride bike) Right (same as above) Names of other dogs that we go play with (Dutchess, Hannah, Sampson) Can distinguish at least 10 different toy names and will retrieve them (sometimes we disagree which toy to play with, ie; if I want to play with the ball sometimes he brings the tug and only relents when I refuse to tug will he bring the ball to me, tee, hee...stubborn!) FRISBEE! POPCORN! and the ones he hates; You're not going |
Vidhya29 wrote: Quote: Teddy understands many words but when he wants my attention says "mama". I thought I was just being a proud OES parent until my daughter came into the room, very surprised, and said "He just called you mama!" Wow, he can say mama??!! It would be great if you could post a video of that. I so wish I could get it on camera. He does it only occassionally and only when I'm in the middle of something. We have tried to get him to do it when a camera is around but he is quiet as can be then. Too smart for his own good. |
| How could I forget dog park, kong and squirrel (hates those creatures). He about went through the glass door the other day after one. He barks gets that mad tone too it. |
| Chewie knows lots of words.
All the standard obedience words - heel, sit, come, front, down, stand, stay, wait, leave it, some for rally - easy (slow down), over (jumps), back (to walk backwards in heel position) carting/mushing - gee (right), haw (left) - also use both in rally for weaving in serpentines; gee over - (move yourself to the right a bit) haw over -(same to the left), on by - keep going straight - ignore whatever you are looking at!, are you ready? - used at the start -keep the lines tight and be ready to pull Hike! - start pulling whoooaaa - stop (very important to know )
Plus all the everday ones - potty, treat, puppy food and the obedience commands that are used everyday too. |
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