The Power of Words - How Many Can Our Furry Friends Recognise?
Has your dog ever surprised you, seeming to understand something you had no idea they knew? Sometimes I think our furry friends are getting smarter every day.
With advances in technique and technology our understanding of the canines' intelligence is constantly growing. It almost looks like they’re smarter than ever before. In this blog, we’re going to explore the power of words. How many words can our furry friends recognise, can they understand complex sentences and abstract concepts? We’ll look at the potential for dogs to learn words, the unique vocal cords of huskies, other breeds, and even talking buttons.
So let’s dive in and explore the power of words
What is the potential for dogs to learn words?
When it comes to understanding the power of words, dogs may not be as advanced as us but they’re certainly much better at it than many humans realise.
Studies have shown that most dogs are capable of recognising and understanding up to 200 words, and some breeds up to 500. There are verified reports of individual dogs learning up to 1,000 words, about the same as a 3yo human. Dogs can also recognise different tones and intonations. This means that they can understand commands, requests, and even words of praise!
They’re able to recognise basic commands like “sit”, “stay”, and “fetch”, as well as words like “dinner”, "outside", "bedroom", and “walk”.
They’re also able to recognise words in different contexts and combine them in order to understand complex instructions. For example, a dog may be able to recognise the words “walk” and “toy” and understand that the instruction is to “walk to the toy”.
So it’s clear that dogs have the potential to understand and recognise a range of words. But what about more complex concepts? Some dogs have been trained to drive cars and fly planes. But are dogs able to understand abstract concepts and words that don’t have a direct physical meaning? Can dogs understand words that express emotion like happy or hungry, sad or even angry?
The Unique Vocal Cords of Huskies: How Do They Learn to Howl "I Love You"?
Huskies are an interesting breed when it comes to understanding words. Because of their close links to the wolf they have a unique vocal cord structure which allows them to produce a variety of sounds, including howling.
This means that they can be taught to howl something resembling “I love you”. They can also be taught to howl other words and even hold what seem like conversations or small arguments. This is undoubtedly a result of training to howl one thing after hearing a que/trigger phrase, but all the same, it is a great example of a dog's intelligence and ability to interpret the different response requirements depending on a spoken phrase.
Huskies are incredibly intelligent, and have an independent streak but are still eager to please. This means that they are quick learners and they can understand words quickly. They may not understand all the words they hear, but with patience and dedication, they can learn to understand a wide variety of words.
Other Breeds:
Huskies may have a unique set of vocal cords that allow them to mimic words, but all breeds of dogs are capable of understanding them, though some may take longer to learn than others.
So, you can teach a dog to identify many objects by name, but what about more abstract concepts?
Chaser - the world's smartest dog was able to identify over 1000 objects by name, clearly knew which ones were her toys and which weren't. Chaser could also understand adjectives like smaller, bigger, faster and slower.
The amount of training a dog receives has a major impact on their ability to understand words.
The best way to teach a dog to understand words is through repetition and positive reinforcement.
Dogs learn best when they’re rewarded for correct responses, so it's important to give them treats or verbal praise when they understand a word or command. Additionally, it's important to be consistent when teaching a dog to understand words.
You should always use the same word for the same command. For example, if you want your dog to sit, you should always say “sit” rather than “down” or “lay down”
There is still so much we don't know about our dog's level of comprehension, just how much and what concepts can they understand? That's why I'm training my dogs to use communication buttons.
If you want to take your dog’s understanding of words to the next level, you can teach them to use communication buttons.
Talking Buttons:
In recent years, a new form of dog communication has emerged – talking buttons. Talking buttons are a device that allows dogs to communicate with their owners by pressing a button.
When the button is pressed, it triggers a recording of the owner’s voice, allowing the dog to “speak” to their owners. You can record words such as “Outside” “Toilet” “Treat” “Walk” or “Dinner” the possibilities are endless.
As it stands Dogs often completely rely on us to interpret their needs and wants. We all know bladders can be unpredictable, especially when we’re a bit sick, imagine giving your dog the independence and empowerment to let you know when they need to go to the toilet.
This allows dogs to communicate with their owners without relying on physical cues or vocalisations. So how can you teach your dog to use a communication button? The first step is to get your dog comfortable and familiar with the button.
Here's a video I found on YouTube that explains the talking button concept:
Dog Communication Buttons -
What Are the Benefits?
Dogs love to impress us and do things for our attention and rewards, communication buttons are not just fun for your dog, they can also be incredibly beneficial. Not only do they provide a visual cue for the dog, but they also provide an auditory cue as well. This helps to reinforce the word or command that the dog is being taught.
One of the biggest benefits is that by giving your dog a way to communicate their needs the communication buttons can help reduce stress and anxiety in dogs.
Communication buttons can help dogs to focus. By pressing the button, your dog is indicating that they are paying attention and are ready to obey. This can be especially helpful if you have a dog that’s easily distracted.
Finally, using a communication button can help to strengthen the bond between you and your dog. By teaching your dog to use a communication button, you are showing them that you trust them and that you value their input and understanding.
SECTION 7: Teaching a Dog to Use the Communication Buttons
There are as many ways to teach a dog as there are dogs.
The key is to be consistent and patient. You should always use the same word for the same command, and you should always reward your dog with a treat when they press the button. You should also start slowly and build up, set your dog up for success by breaking the training down into small steps.
How simply you need to break the process down will depend on your dog and their previous training.
Method 1
The simplest method to familiarise your dog with the buttons might be to program one with the word “food” or “treat” (preferably a word they already know).
Then smear some peanut butter on it and have them lick it off (obviously being aware of peanut allergies), hopefully triggering the button a few times while doing so.
Do this a few times, maybe once or twice a day for a week, the last step is to leave the button on the floor while you are around watching TV or something to see if they ever spontaneously press the button, if they do offer immediate praise and a treat. Just before dinner time might be a great time to try this as it’s a time of day they already associate with food.
Wipe the button off with a slightly damp cloth after each session, being careful as most of these buttons aren’t water resistant and you don't want to use detergents that might be toxic for your dog.
Method 2
Another method is If your dog knows how to shake or to offer their paw, you can program the button to say shake and hold it in your hand getting them to trigger it when you say the command shake then offering them a treat for doing so.
Method 3
Yet another method is to first place the button in front of them and offer a reward when they touch it. Once your dog understands that the button is something positive, you can start to teach them to press the button.
The second step is to record a command such as “sit” and then press the button. When your dog sits, reward them with a treat. As they become more familiar with the button, you can start to add more buttons and thus commands or words.
The key to teaching your dog to use a communication button is consistency. You should always use the same word for the same command, and you should always reward your dog with a treat when they press the button.
TLDR Conclusion - Unlocking the Power of Words
It’s clear that our furry friends are capable of recognising and understanding a range of words. From basic commands like “sit” and “fetch”, to more complex words like “dinner” and “walk”.
Occasionally they have shown the ability to understand more abstract concepts and even piece strings of words together to understand a command.
Talking buttons are a great way to give your dog a way to communicate with you. By giving your dog a way to communicate their needs, it can empower them, helping to reduce their stress levels and strengthen the bond between the two of you.
So it’s clear that our furry friends are capable of recognising and understanding a range of words. By understanding and unlocking the power of words, our furry friends can become even smarter and more capable than ever before. So go ahead and explore the power of words and see how many of them your furry friends can recognise.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaser_(dog)#:~:text=7%20External%20links-,Background,Emeritus%20of%20Psychology%20John%20W.
YouTube Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXo3NFqkaRM
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