RevJeber
We humans think we're so damned smart.
How many human words can a dog understand?
Up to between 100 and 200 words.
How many dog words can a human understand?
0
Jun 25, 2023 at 5:21pmIvory for Mac
Show threadMugsysRapSheet Blog ☑️Jun 25, 2023

@jeber
My dog understands only 3 words:

Her name.
"Dinner!"
& "walk!" 😉

Show threadRevJeberJun 25, 2023
@MugsysRapSheet
She just lets you think that’s all she understands. 😉
Show threadMugsysRapSheet Blog ☑️Jun 25, 2023

@jeber
Actually, I was being generous.

If I announced, "Okay! Let's go for a skydive!", she'd react the same way. 😜

Show threadJon PhillipsJun 25, 2023
@jeber I understand the point but aren't you missing the hundreds of communications we can understand from dogs?
Show threadRevJeberJun 25, 2023
@jonphillips
I would contend that they understand us better than we understand them. We think we know what they're trying to tell us, but we don’t know exactly what they're communicating. Whereas a dog, given a command, does the exact thing we asked them to do. Even sheep/cattle does understand the exact meaning of a whistle or hand gesture. We have to guess what they mean, and to be fair, after a while we’re usually good at it.
I do think the buttons that dogs use to speak are interesting.
Show threadJon PhillipsJun 25, 2023
@jeber Totally agree. Although my mum must have a defective dog (Cocker spaniel) who was doing laps of a muddy pond today after being explicitly told not to 🐕😃..
Show threadRevJeberJun 25, 2023
@jonphillips
Man, I’m sorry she got a broken one. My Cocker, who died 3 years ago now, was the coolest and most obedient dog I’ve ever hung out with.
Show threadllywrchJun 25, 2023
@jeber I don’t understand any dog words, but my cat vocabulary is very rich.
Show threadRevJeberJun 25, 2023
@llywrch
Cats are tough. At least dogs want to communicate with us. Cats couldn’t care less.
Show threadllywrchJun 25, 2023
@jeber My cats insist on talking to me. I guess it all depends on how much affection a cat has for you
Show threadRevJeberJun 25, 2023
@llywrch
I suspect my cats have always made excuses for me.
Show threadBadtux the Snarky PenguinJun 25, 2023
@jeber I can understand maybe a dozen dog worlds, from "do not come near" to "yippeee! Let's play!" But my dog can only understand maybe a dozen human words so I guess we're even.
Show threadThe Evil MicrowizardJun 25, 2023
@jeber But that's intentional on the part of the dogs!
Show threadObsoleteJun 25, 2023
@jeber My 2 dogs only know 1 word, and that’s “treat”. WTF dogs!
Show threadok I'm here as a backup rarely still I guessJun 25, 2023
@jeber fedi folk understand cats much better
Show threadMichał "rysiek" Woźniak · 🇺🇦Jun 25, 2023
@jeber w  !
Show threadMihaela MJJun 25, 2023
@jeber I understand a few dog words. My Dalmatian girls barks in different fashions for when she needs water or food. When she really needs to go to the toilet it’s more of a gnetle growl. She taught me that.
Show threadAndrewJun 25, 2023
@jeber oooh I actually saw a study on this! Even humans with no major experience with dogs can understand what mood a dog is in from vocalizations and body language.
Show threadlirosoJun 25, 2023
@jeber
Oh yeah? So how come when Lassie barks everybody knows she's saying that Timmy fell down the well?
Show threadRevJeberJun 25, 2023
@liroso
She was an actor just reading her lines.
Show threadlirosoJun 25, 2023
@jeber
Nah-unh. Everybody knows that Lassie improvises her lines. 😊
Show threadRevJeberJun 25, 2023
@liroso
Honestly, I never noticed that. So that whole well thing was off-the-paw?
Show threadlirosoJun 25, 2023
@jeber
Yup! It was a case of the tale wagging the dog.
Show thread7aMDiiJun 25, 2023
@jeber maybe dogs think the same ?!!
Show threadTim LavoieJun 25, 2023

@jeber Hey, I know at least one!

"Dad, I'm stuck in the paddock because I snuck in, and now the goats are standing near my exit!"

(e.g., one short woof, periodically, while standing by the big gate)

Show threadErgonWolfJun 25, 2023
@jeber there are some days I can't even understand 200 human words.
Show threadRevJeberJun 25, 2023
@ErgonWolf
True that. The older I get the smaller my vocabulary. Sometimes it takes me so long to think of just the right word I forget what I was writing.
Show threadErgonWolfJun 25, 2023
@jeber Grunting can be quite communicative.
Show threadСара Кварц  Jun 25, 2023
@jeber a lot of the times humans can't understand human words, even ;)
Show threadkirabugJun 25, 2023
@jeber @Fragglemuppet I think I’m around 20 actually, but I am in an immersion program
Show threadSteffen ChristensenJun 26, 2023
@jeber Maybe 6? Beg, curious, excited, "hey", "Mine!" and ashamed.
They don't all use vocalizations...