About a month ago I read a post called Friday Fun With Phraseology at Rescued Insanity.
Kristine was sharing phrases her dog Shiva has picked up such as “Ahem” (Hellooo I’m waiting.) Kristine asked if her reader’s dogs had picked up any words they hadn’t been specifically taught.
At that time I commented with “Sometimes I just say, “Eh.” Other times I suck in my breath and make a little “huh” sound; this would be your version of “Ahem.” Lately I just throw my hands up in the air in frustration and look at her and Delilah sits.”
Tonight I discovered that Sampson and Delilah have picked up some words I wasn’t aware of.
First I have a confession.
I love video games. I get in phases where I play video games, a lot. Lately Hubby and I have been playing Donkey Kong Country on the Wii, (something about the Holidays that just scream video games to me.) In this video game there is a little pig stationed in various places in each level. When you reach the little pig (I call him Porky) he waves a flag, this is a check point in the level so if you die and you still have more lives you can start from that point.
Tonight while dinner was cooking Hubby and I snuck in a few minutes on the game. We were at a particularly hard screen and I had just commented to Hubby how I wished we could get to Porky while we still had some lives left, and then I made it to Porky and I said, “Well look who’s here.”
And both dogs jumped up and rushed to the door, and stood there tails wagging, patiently waiting for the non-existent visitor.
The moral of this story is your dogs are learning, even if you think they aren’t. 😉
Oh that is so true! Ours do the same thing. Cindy (the pups breeder), was saying how she was potty training one of her long ago pups in the winter and she would say, “hurry up, go potty” because it was so cold. Well the dog keyed in on “hurry up”, so forever after that was the phrase for that dog. 😆 We will be very careful….
LOL yes you will. It is amazing what they pick up. Sampson for sure knows, “where’s your collar?” “Want to go for a ride/walk?” Or “It’s time to go see Auntie Sara.”
Do you have a plan of attack for training the new puppy? Any names picked out yet?
Some things they learn so quickly. At one time on walks when I said “Go home,” my dogs would look around for a stray dog or cat that I had (stupidly) told to go home.
Yes it’s funny what they pick up/don’t pick up. “Go Home.” Did they think they had to go home themselves?
Last Saturday when Lila and I were at the dog park, I told Lila three times that it was time to go home. She usually comes to me when I tell her that, but last Saturday she got away from me everytime. She was having fun, but I was cold. Finally, I said, “Bye, bye,” and she came with me right away. She must like me or the food I feed her!
They do understand, and sometimes I think they are trying to talk to us with human words.
Nice post!
Thanks Mary Ann, I”m glad that Lila is catching on to your phrases, it sounds like you are bonding nicely. It must make you feel so good!
I am attuned to the words “all gone”. When De says it to me it means that all the food has gone so there is no point in waiting anymore. However, she also uses it with the little person to explain that the shampoo has run out or we need more soap or any number of inedible things. Because I mainly associate the words with food I will rush to see if I’ve missed something and get very disappointed when I burst into the room and find the little person holding up an empty toilet roll! 🙂
Oh no! Are you extremely food motivated like Delilah? I swear that girl is like a shadow on me. Do you lick the floors too? BOL
Smart dogs! It is true, they are always listening. And watching….
PS – Congrats on making it to Porky! 🙂
Thanks Donna, it would nice if we could make it to Porky on the first try, that way we would have more opportunities to complete the level. 🙂
Hahaha! Absolutely! It’s crazy the things they pick up. I’ve commented many times how everyone else’s dogs seem to know what the word “walk” means but that my dog has no clue at all. I could jump up and down saying the word and she wouldn’t bat an eye. However, the other day, I was talking with my husband and suggested something about going out for dinner. At the words “go out” Shiva jumped off the couch and stared wagging her tail. That’s when it hit me. She doesn’t know the word walk because I never use it! “Go out” is apparently the phrase of the hour in our house. Isn’t it weird how you don’t even know what you say all the time until your dogs point it out?
Thanks for this cute post! And the shout-out!
PS. If this is post 364, does that mean you are only one away from your goal?? Congratulations!!!!! You are amazing!
You’re welcome for the shout out, “go out” is your phrase, I bet if you changed it to “take a walk” she would catch on very quickly. She is a very smart girl.
Yes, today is day 365 and tomorrow is the one year anniversary of this blog. I’m super excited that I stuck with it!
Haha so true! It is always a surprise to find out what words/phrases they have picked up on!
Does Sophie have any ‘catch phrases’?
That made me laugh Jodi, how cool and adorable. Mike & I were just agreeably disagreeing last night when he insisted that Molly knew what he was talking about when he tells her to “watch the baby Molly” or “where’s the baby Molly?” as in, fill in keeping an eye on the new pup for for Mommy or Daddy. I said, how ridiculous– but he really believes she understands. Maybe not as far-fetched as I would have thought! [She certainly does try to domineer and herd the puppy around!]
Mike may be right! How is Molly doing with the baby anyway, besides herding her? Are they getting along?
I bet if you tested her Molly would surprise you with what she knows.
Molly is super smart IMHO [as opposed to my little dearly departed “blonde” poodle, not so much lol] she certainly understands want to go outside and want to go see grandma, but I have always wondered about dogs if it’s really the tone of the voice they are appearing to understand. I’d love to believe that she’s actually understanding the real words! Molly and “Honey” [we still haven’t agreed on a name] get along ok, Honey adores Molly and Molly so far enjoys playing with Honey until she gets on her last nerve at which point she jumps on furniture that Honey can’t reach. By evening she seems to have had quite enough of Miss Honey’s nippy, yippy, unrestrained shinanigans. 🙂
Well that is great! As long as they aren’t fighting. It sounds like Molly knows exactly how to handle “Honey.”
BOL! Who knows what else they’re picking up from you. Now you’ll know to look for more phrases.
I definitely will!!
Hahaha – too funny! Dogs are a lot like kids and the walls have ears. 🙂
Yes you have to be careful, thank god the dogs can’t repeat what they hear!
That is funny and so true.
You never know just what they are picking up!