How much do dogs understand what we say?

Considered mans best friends, dogs have been our closest companions for thousands of years. Not only do they live with us and work with us, but they also become like family members- after all how many of us sign off our birthday and Christmas cards with our pet’s names!

With this close relationship, many of us have wondered if they understand us when we tell them how much we love them and when they are good boys and girls! When they hear us say “walkies”, do they genuinely know what we are saying or is it simply learned behaviours?

Many studies have been conducted in the canine cognition science community to try to answer this very question. 

Studies have shown that some dogs have the ability to learn words the same way as babies do. It has also been discovered that the dogs’ brains process language in a similar way to us as well, with the left side processing meaning and the right side processing emotion.

These two discoveries mean that we now know that dogs can determine whether both the word being used and the voice/tone being used match. When the tone and words match and are of a praising nature, that is when our pups are most happy! 

Not only words, but our super-smart pups also pick up on our social queues. If you have been upset or had a rough day, you may have noticed they are more affectionate – this is their way of saying that they are here for you. This unspoken connection is what makes the human/dog relationship so incredibly special and just like our human family relationships.

So when you are next talking with your dog, know he is actually listening and trying to understand you!  It is reassuring to know that our dogs can pick up on so much more than just “sit”, “stay” and “shake”. He may not understand every word and its meaning but he is more than likely picking up on more than we realise.

So go on, tell them how much you love them!