One of the many amazing things our dog can do is understand our language. Fluffy has about the same capacity as a toddler to learn vocabulary. In fact, it’s been proven a dog can learn over 300 words and commands, with the average being about 165. The record however, is a whopping 1,022.

Make sure everybody in the house uses the same word for the same thing. For example, if you say “supper,” but your husband says “dinner” when it’s time to eat, this confuses your dog. Dogs best relate to words they can link to objects or behaviors, better than they can to abstract concepts. So “sit,” “walk,” “car,” 'outside” and ‘leave it’ make more sense to Fluffy than “I love you.” She’ll wag her tail at your endearing tone, but she knows a concrete result happens when she hears “treat.”

And dogs respond better to hard sounds [T,R P] as opposed to soft ones [S, F] or vowels, so “walk” is a better word for your daily outing than “exercise”. [Note: this same concept is significant when naming your dog as well.]

The working breeds probably have a better innate ability to learn words, but having a brighter dog is just a bonus. Patience, love and consistency is the key, because even an older dog can learn new words. 

Using your tone appropriately is important too. Cues should be given in a light, encouraging tone, while only corrections are given in a stern one. Using an “I mean business” tone of voice when you tell Fluffy to sit, doesn’t help you. Save that tone for “No!” or “Ahh” or “Hey!”, all corrections. 

Finally, do not use your dog’s name AS a correction. When you correct, just say “no!,” not “Fluffy!,” as you’ll teach your dog “sometimes my name means I’m in trouble.” And you don’t want that. You want her to love her name.

Dog's Best Friend