Do you have to spell some words around your dog?

Cidney

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#1
There are certian words I can not say in front of my two boys or they go bizzirk. I cant say the words "walk or park". I have been on the phone before talking with whoever and said the word "walk" and man they started going crazy - thought they were getting ready to go for a walk. I cant say 'bone" or they think they are getting a treat and start going crazy. I think my two Yorkies are so smart, i can tell them to go give David (my hubby) a kiss and they do it. They are so cute when I talk to them because their little heads will tilt to the side trying to listen for words they recognize. Do you think dogs know words or is it just the tone of voice?
 
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Ilio

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#3
i know exactly what you mean, we have to say T-R-E-A-T because we say treat when we give our dog a buiscuit. We also have to say C-H-I-P-M-U-N-K because chipmunks eat from our bird feeders and when we say chipmunk our dog runs to the glass door and barks her head off.
LilyRose
 
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#4
OH, they understand all right! I even read an article a couple of weeks ago that talked about the scientific/behaviourist community "discovering" that dogs learned a significant vocabulary. Hunnnhh! We could have TOLD those fools and saved them a lot of time and probably an obscene amount of money.

'Cookie' gets everybody's attention here! 'Cows,' 'Jeep,' and 'Charlie's on his way' cause an instant rush to the door. 'Garbage' makes Shiva cringe immediately, since she's had a little problem with staying out of it, spending many days in the laundry room when I was gone instead of being allowed the run of the house with Bimmer and Kharma. I can say, 'Bimmer, Kharma's headed for your dish,' or some variation of that, and he goes and stands by his food dish until she either leaves or he gives her permission to eat out of it. All in all, they seem to understand most of what we say to them. If I spell something out, they know something's up and all three of them watch me, eagle-eyed, waiting to catch a clue - and they're very good at it! (lol)
 

flyndog

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#5
I started to use Pig Latin for some words my dog knows, but she quickly became "bilingual". She hasn't learned to spell yet, though!
 

MEG126

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#6
horses do it too!! i used to take lessons, i did for about 5 years or so, and whenever we wanted a change in gait we'd say the word; 'walk', 'trot', or 'canter'. i remember one horse imparticular knew the word 'walk' very well. probably because that meant it was time to take a break, but it got to the point where if my trainer wanted us to come in for a chat or explain a jump course to us, she couldn't even spell walk out because he'd caught onto that too.

she always told me that when you're asking your horse to do something, ask nicely first, a little less nicely the second time, and if they still don't do what you ask, MAKE them. i guess that's just how it has to be with that big of an animal, huh? i also like this quote my friend has:

"If your horse says no, you either asked the wrong question, or asked the question wrong. -Pat Parelli
 

Debi

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#7
I know they understand much more than given credit for. I realize sometimes it is the 'tone', not the word, but I can be doing anything and all I have to say is 'I think I hear something' and they will both jump up and run to look out. We spell BATH, too.....cause they don't want to hear that word! lol
 
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#8
All three of my monsters have learned that in order to get a cookie, they're going to have to show me their manners - sit down nicely - with good manners. Kharma still gets a wide-eyed frantic, slavering look on her face and wriggles so that she truly does resemble Cookie Monster, which is hysterical.

I don't even say bath. I don't know why they hate it so much, they all like getting in the water, and when they come in muddy, they'll all go jump in the pool until they're de-mudded, but when it comes to an actual bath as an organized activity . . . try and find them! I have to get Kharma first, because she completely disappears otherwise, then the other two, depending on who I find first. Bimmer goes and lays down perfectly still in the high grass. Shiva will slink out after I call her a few times.

They won't even accept cookies afterward; not even Kharma!
 

Debi

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#9
This sounds silly, too, but Addie has a huge problem if anyone touches her collar. So if we need to remove it to replace the rabies tag or something...we don't dare say it out loud. She will hide. Our kids didn't believe us until we showed them........all you have to say is 'I'm going to take off Addie's collar' and she is gone. AND.....once we've done our awful deed and then replaced the collar, she is mad for the rest of the time she is in. We just shake our heads at that one!!! There isn't anything horrid about removing a collar. Go figure....... :D hey, I guess we all have our quirks.......even dogs.
 

RD

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#10
I use pig latin, actually. Spelling most of the words takes too long. He always knows what we mean, but at least then he doesn't freak out and jump all over us and lick my face.
 

Julie H

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#11
My Ripley and Nala are the same. When I same grandma their ears go up and they run to the window. Squirrel and they are headed for the back door. Ripley will get any toy I ask for. She has several tennis balls and she will get them by color. All her toys are kept in a basket (so we try) and I'll ask her to get her new toy that we got a day ago or so and she will. At night when we go to bed she'll lay there and chew on a bone, we turn off the tv and tell her good night Ripley, it's night night time and she stops chewing and goes to sleep. Dogs are smarter than some humans I know.
 

mom2two

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#12
Oh yes, these dogs are smart, my hubby and I have to look for different words to mean the "W" word. We have to say things like "stroll" or we started saying walk backwards (klaw) and at times they even still get it. Cookie is off limits too unless you are asking them to do something to get one. Smarties is what they are.
 

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