How many words does you dog understand?

[BG and Gavin]

According to Dr. Stanley Coren, Dogs understand up to 160 words http://animal.discovery.com/pets/dogs-understand-words.htm

Gavin understands a dozen or more commands (words which we have "taught" him) but he has picked up several more.  We have made it a habit not to "label" exciting activities, as we have met other dogs who go ballistic when they hear the word "walk" which is often shortened to "W" so as not to illicit ballistic response.  However, Gavin has picked up on what walk means simply by eavesdropping on conversations between DH and I and making the connection.  For example "I am going to take Gavin for a walk now."  We are okay with this because he clearly indicates understanding by cocking his head or wagging his tail, without going ballistic.  Likewise he understands the meaning of "ball", "eat",  "final pee (just before bed)" and several others words and phrases.  But his all time favorite thing is his doodle bff Mylie (and he certainly know her name)

You will also notice his response to his release word "ok" :)

I consider Gavin to be middle of the road in the intelligence department.  I would love to hear what other doodles know.

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

We did!  We had some snow the day before so the ice wasn't as bad as it could have been.  We stayed in but we had a little party for people to meet the baby and some people couldn't make it because of the freezing rain.  It made for a pretty walk in the dog park today though!  All the trees had a thin layer of ice.

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

Gavin is so cute! Our doodles (especially Lucy) are the type that go 'ballistic' over certain words, like 'Carmen' (our daughter, and their all-time favorite person), 'dog park' and 'backyard', so we have to spell those in order to keep the peace. I have no idea how many words they know, but it's a lot, and includes different toys, people, mealtimes and certain phrases (like, 'go to your spot' and 'go get the red rubber bone'). Of course, there's commands as well. Lucy will cock her head whenever we ask her a question, like, 'Lucy, do you want to __________?' (fill in the blank). It just amazes me sometimes how much English they know (or would like to know)!

[BG and Gavin]

Thanks Debb.  Its super cute that the doodles know their "sister's" name.  Spelling out the words reminds me of that old Tammy Wynette song "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" lol.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

LOL, the word shower was certainly the least interesting word in the that conversation!   Hope you had a great time with MiIey today.

Spud knows more than I can even begin to imagine.  I truly think I can carry on more of a conversation with Spud than I can with my youngest son.  Truth.

Names of all his toys.  All the rooms in the house. Commands. Events. He also tries to figure out the conversation of my DH and I.

I often wonder if some of us talk to these intelligent dogs more than others? I know my labs knew just about nothing  :)   Even my screams about the garbage can and the table ...well they acted like I wasn't even there.

I'm amazed every day.

[BG and Gavin]

Its funny that he glanced away when I said shower, because he does know what that means.  When he was young I made him come in the bathroom with me when I showered.  So when I say shower it generally means that he needs to follow me into the bathroom and lie down.  Needless to say, he usually has better things to do.

I think the head cocking reinforces us to converse with the dog.  I remember when we had training set backs the instructions were not to talk to the dog and it certainly worked to help them to tune back into you to figure out what you wanted.

[Kyoko]

He loves his friend Miley!! So cute the way he cocks his head.... I think mine know s a couple of dozens of words.... Besides  the command like sit, stay, come, etc...they know the kids' names and each other's names ( Pinot and Charlie ) for sure. They are so amazing to me that how much they can understand and how smart they are....

[BG and Gavin]

Yes Kyoko, Mylie is definitely his favorite word. It is amazing how smart they are.

[Julie and Max]

Aww Gavin looks so cute! Max is only four months old but he does know most of the command words, sit, down, stay, come, leave it, off. He knows a bunch of tricks, shake a paw, high five, wave, spin, roll over. The one that makes me laugh though, is when we're walking and I let him off leash, the odd time he won't come when I call, and so I just say "bye Max" and start walking and he comes running as fast as he can. 

[BG and Gavin]

Wow Julie, you have taught Max a lot in a short time.  We have talked in the training group how dogs lots of times become immune to "come" so we chose a different recall word to retrain.  It sounds like yours is "bye."

[Camilla and Darwin]

Darwin understands physical cues pretty well, like he can tell when people want him to move, or when he should jump up on the couch, etc. I think word wise, he may know about 12. That video is the cutest!

[BG and Gavin]

Thanks Camilla. Darwin is so smart he is a mind reader ;)

[Lynda Kamrath]

Harpo is our smart fellow.  He not only understands much of what we say, but he talks back.  He knows all commands, names of people and other animals, and he watches television and jumps up at it when there are animals running or playing.  When he recognizes someplace that we are going, he starts to talk.  My other labradoodle used to do the same.  "Let's go" is his favorite words to hear. He is always ready to go anywhere.  He definitely knows "walk" and "dog park" and they are his favorite words.  He also knows "Time up, bring it to me".  He gets twenty minutes to chew his bully stick and when I tell him the time is up, he brings it back to me so I can put it away in a ziplock bag until the next day.  Oh yes, and Frosty Paws.  He loves Frosty Paws and I take the lid off and stand at the back door and he takes it in his mouth and out to his bed to eat it.  When I open the freezer, he always thinks it is time for Frosty Paws.  He also comes running when I play a video on the computer and a dog is barking on the video.  He runs over and watches the computer the same as he watches the television.