| Pages in topic: [1 2 3] > | Off topic: What language do you speak to your dog? Thread poster: Ivars Barzdevics
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This may well be the dumbest question ever asked in this forum, but I'm just curious. And besides, today is Sunday so we might get some laughs.
Does your dog respond differently if it is spoken to in different languages?
| | | | Suzan Hamer 
Netherlands
Local time: 10:35
English
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We did a puppy training course in Dutch when we first got her, at about 4 months old, so she "speaks" Dutch. But I think she is bilingual, or even trilingual. Until she was 4 months old, she lived in Greece, was found, abandoned on a beach, by some Nederlanders and brought back to the Netherlands. I can't help myself, I speak to her in English too. I haven't counted lately, but I think she has a vocabulary in Dutch of at least 20 words... and probably 10 in English, including "basket", "hun... See more We did a puppy training course in Dutch when we first got her, at about 4 months old, so she "speaks" Dutch. But I think she is bilingual, or even trilingual. Until she was 4 months old, she lived in Greece, was found, abandoned on a beach, by some Nederlanders and brought back to the Netherlands. I can't help myself, I speak to her in English too. I haven't counted lately, but I think she has a vocabulary in Dutch of at least 20 words... and probably 10 in English, including "basket", "hungry" and "cheese". And she can recognize words in English, such as "out", when spelled. Clever girl.
Does she react differently if spoken to in different languages? I haven't noticed . . .
Although she strongly resembles a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, she is no particular breed. When people ask me if she is a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, I say No, she's a griekse vliegenvanger (a Greek fly catcher)...." Apparently, I'm the only one who thinks that's funny.
[Edited at 2010-05-10 09:48 GMT]
[Edited at 2010-05-10 10:09 GMT]
[Edited at 2010-05-10 10:11 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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I usually give orders in French (assis, couché, ici, donne la patte, non) but I use hand gestures too so ultimately tone & body language are what my dog responds to... case in point she'll respond to the same commands in English, French, Chinese (my housekeeper) and Spanish (dogsitting friend)
Locals are always amazed "Ta ting hua!" ("she listens!") and then they start calling her over and asking her to sit and she... See more I usually give orders in French (assis, couché, ici, donne la patte, non) but I use hand gestures too so ultimately tone & body language are what my dog responds to... case in point she'll respond to the same commands in English, French, Chinese (my housekeeper) and Spanish (dogsitting friend)
Locals are always amazed "Ta ting hua!" ("she listens!") and then they start calling her over and asking her to sit and she just trots over and sits by then ▲ Collapse
| | | | sokolniki
United States
Local time: 04:35
English to Russian
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.. to my dog since he was born and has lived all his life in the US (native speaker?) . However to my Russian cat which I brought over with me 8 years ago I spoke Russian. The dog and the cat could communicate well in spite of the language barrier and did not require my interpretation services.
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| German saves my bacon! | May 9, 2010 |
Wherever I have been in the world the one thing that seems to be universal is that when faced with a growling unfriendly mutt you want to shoo away, you put on a commanding tone and shout in your best German "Hund! Raus!" - It'll put its tail between its legs and skidaddle. Never met a dog yet who didn't obey that one!
Here in Catalonia, I know a few people who use English commands because they are monosyllabic: Sit! ... See more Wherever I have been in the world the one thing that seems to be universal is that when faced with a growling unfriendly mutt you want to shoo away, you put on a commanding tone and shout in your best German "Hund! Raus!" - It'll put its tail between its legs and skidaddle. Never met a dog yet who didn't obey that one!
Here in Catalonia, I know a few people who use English commands because they are monosyllabic: Sit! Stay! Heel! or short: "Walk on!" etc. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | My dog was a freelance translator... | May 9, 2010 |
My dog was a freelance translator (lang pair: dog language human language) -- a veritable Uranium Member of DrogZ.com . He used to help out both human and canine "End Customers" and "Agencies" who had problems communicating with their dogs / canine clients or human masters. So, you see, I've no problem at all....)
By the way, if any of you have any problem at all com... See more My dog was a freelance translator (lang pair: dog language human language) -- a veritable Uranium Member of DrogZ.com . He used to help out both human and canine "End Customers" and "Agencies" who had problems communicating with their dogs / canine clients or human masters. So, you see, I've no problem at all....)
By the way, if any of you have any problem at all communicating with your dog, just visit www.DrogZ.com, and avail the services of our great canine colleagues there.
If you don't understand the meaning of a particular bark of your dog... you can even post a question to the DukoZ board of DrogZ.com and get free answers ! Just transcribe that particular bark using doggy-IPA.
Moreechika ▲ Collapse
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Sometimes, he understands me better when I speak plain language instead of giving set dog commands. We just talk when we walk.
| | | | Rosa Foyle
Germany
Member (2008)
Spanish to English
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| Truely bilingual | May 10, 2010 |
As a dog lover, I like your question! My dog is also a member of my bilingual family and has totally assimilated into our routine. I speak to my dog in English (I'm a native speaker) and my kids and husband in German (they are German native speakers). He's never seemed to have a problem with understanding both languages and responds quickly to simple commands. But he only responds to doing "tricks" like rolling over and giving his hand in German, because this is the language my kids taught him h... See more As a dog lover, I like your question! My dog is also a member of my bilingual family and has totally assimilated into our routine. I speak to my dog in English (I'm a native speaker) and my kids and husband in German (they are German native speakers). He's never seemed to have a problem with understanding both languages and responds quickly to simple commands. But he only responds to doing "tricks" like rolling over and giving his hand in German, because this is the language my kids taught him how to do these in. ▲ Collapse
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| Italian for now | May 10, 2010 |
I speak italian to the dog, so as not to confuse her, though after reading this, i guess I should speak in English too. She understands a lot of words in Italian, not necessarily commands, but we'll say, go get your doll/ball/stick or whatever and she'll go and get it. She also knows people's names. We'll say, take your ball to David and he'll play with you, and she'll do it. I think the dog's i've had in the past have been pretty stupid, so this dog seems amazingly smart to me ... See more I speak italian to the dog, so as not to confuse her, though after reading this, i guess I should speak in English too. She understands a lot of words in Italian, not necessarily commands, but we'll say, go get your doll/ball/stick or whatever and she'll go and get it. She also knows people's names. We'll say, take your ball to David and he'll play with you, and she'll do it. I think the dog's i've had in the past have been pretty stupid, so this dog seems amazingly smart to me She's a year and a half old and we've had her since she was a tiny puppy. She might also speak Brescian dialect because we got her from that area, but we only speak Milanese! ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Can I include cats? | May 10, 2010 |
Mine does seem to look at me differently when spoken to in French or English, perhaps because my voice isn't the same in French (I think it's softer).
He understands French words (miam miam, faim, arrête, attends) and one English word (pigeon!).
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doggy language of course!
Woof woof yap woooooooo!
| | | | Clare Barnes
Sweden
Local time: 10:35
Swedish to English
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Our cat is an English-speaker and takes much longer to warm to people who speak Swedish to him.
I walk our neighbour's dog almost every day, and he's now pretty much trilingual. They are a Dutch family but mix Dutch and Swedish commands - and now he gets them from me in English. I've been learning too, and can at least tell him to "stay" (bleif?) in Dutch.
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| My native language | May 10, 2010 |
So far society hasn't pressed me enough to make me teach my dogs foreign languages!
| | | | | | IreneP
Greece
Local time: 11:35
English to Greek
| How about cats too? | May 11, 2010 |
I have two cats and they both can understand english. Of course, greek is their favorite language!
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