Dogs hear our words and how we say them

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/11/141126124340.htm

Interesting article on just how much of our communication dogs may be able to understand!

Interesting - thanks for posting. Morgan can pick words that she knows out of a sentence and puts her own understanding of the word into practice. For example, if I was talking about a film - say Breakfast at Tiffanys - she'd pick out the word breakfast and go and sit in her bed waiting to be served!

Unfortunately, Demps also does that! His little trigger words are usually: Walk, Dinner or Ssssssss.

I spell out words because the dogs go ballistic at some of them.

We usually just use synonyms. 'Outing' instead of walk, for instance.

We have to be so careful (son and I) when talking to each other.  The words "OK" , "right", "take" , and of course "walk" mean just one thing to Kuchar!  So if we are actually discussing who or when either of us taking Kuchar for a walk, we say "prend le chien pour le promenade" although I suspect that he will soon understand very bad French!

The words "come here" though are still an alien language to him!

Selective understanding, then!

Mine hear the words, walk, collar, carrot (or orange stick), lets go out, hello.... mental house! I cant even say "Lb"  which I thought was code for liver biscuit.

We spell too but... it's not working so well for us.

Dogs are smarter than a lot of people give them credit for!