Crazy Words

[judedog]

I was reminded today how Jude can pick up on the little things and he remembers. Got me wondering what kind of words your dog has learned?

 

Jude knows the word "Oops", which typically means someone cooking has dropped something and that he should wake from the deepest sleep to run into the kitchen to try to find whatever morsel of food that has fallen to the floor.

 

Jude also kind of knows the word "Cat", although I'm sure he's not entirely sure. We have two cats. If I ask him where the cats are, he runs to the window, looking for the evil stray cats that live in the area that he so desperately wants to chase. Often times, he has to push one of our house cats out of the way to get to the window. So, he either only cares about the strays, or he thinks our house cats are small, annoying dogs.

 

Jude also knows the words "Breakfast" and "Dinner", which come in handy when we are living in our apartment and it is 110 degrees outside. I can take Jude out to do his thing, but when he gets to sniffing and tracking, I can just ask him if he wants said breakfast or dinner, and he will stop all sniffing and run to the door to go and eat.

 

And, the most entertaining, is the word "Go", which you would think would mean to leave... But not in Jude's vocabulary. Go makes Jude zoom through the apartment, making his own version of an obstacle course, jumping over beds, around stools, under tables, finally laying down where he originally started, waiting for you to tell him to "Go" again, always having this new obstacle course memorized and following the same path. But, the course always changes from play session to play session, and those pesky annoying little "dogs" always need to get to high ground for fear of being trampled.

[Mary&Sully]

My pup knows the difference between the words "Deer" and "squirrel", getting visibly more excited over the prospect of deer. If I tell him to "Go check for Deer" he will run about 50-100 yards away from me off the trail, perch himself on a fallen tree and scan the horizon for said deer. Love it!

He also knows the phrase "Go swim" and will run off the trail into the river and take a short dip before returning to the trail.

And of course the usual stuff like "Dog Park", "Puppy Class" (which type of puppy class depends on which collar I pick up), "Go for a ride", and "Petsmart". Oh and he knows his best dog friend's name (Kayla). I cannot say Kayla while driving with him because he jumps around frantically trying to find where I've hid Kayla in my tiny VW Beetle.

Super cute!!

[Star]

Well, there are a lot actually. "Go Swimming"--they run to their kiddie pool. "Schlop schlop" (german) and they take a drink of water. "Eat your Dinner/Breakfast". "Potty potty". "Grandpa" (my dad, who comes once or twice a year but they get all excited when you say it. "Oma" (my mother in law). And of course, ball, walk, car ride, camping, boat, play tug, bone. Star also knows rope and toy. Sometimes she bring this giant tennis ball or a small football to me. I'll say, "I don't like that one, go get a different ball" and she will. Seven will speak on command, and I pointed at my mouth when I taught it to her. Now I have to be careful about putting my finger to my mouth and saying "Shhh" or she'll speak.

[arf2184]

Bear (not a Border Collie) at nearly 11 years old has picked up A LOT. He's really good at picking up on tones and key words. I can talk to him just like I would anybody and he knows enough to respond appropriately...for example I can say, "You're not supposed to be upstairs. You're going to get in trouble if mom catches you." And he'll start to head down the stairs, but will stop and peek around the corner until I start to head down with him. He knows my name...dad tells him to "go see Alie" or "go find Alie" or "where's Alie?" and Bear'll come stick his head on my lap or lick me.

 

Meg is getting there. She knows the names of the other animals in the house: Bob the bird, Anni the cat, and 'the gerbil'. She knows the word 'chinchilla' and she knows where each chinchilla 'belongs' (there are 20)...she gets very annoyed at me when I move them around to different cages. She knows to wait by the cupboard when I say 'time to take your vitamins' and she waits patiently while Bear takes his glucosamine then they both get their fish oil. She knows go pee, get a drink, hurry up, and plenty more.

[Kelleybean]

bath, and b-a-t-h (yes she can spell) bye means I'm going to work and you're not coming with me--results in a dejected dog laying on the top step, lets go (yippee I get to go too!!) Lets go see Sandy means agility class--big excitement, lets to to Ralphs--run across the pasture to Ralphs pond for a swim, lets go to Tony--run through the woods to our neighbor Tony, lets eat, go to bed, get Sam (my son) where's the kitty? frisbee, ball, tug, walk just to name a few!

[Serena+Eluane B.C.]

uh-oh!!! Eluane probably knows about 300 words.

 

For directions: right, left, en face(in front of), derriere(behind), contre(means counterclockwise), clock (clockwise), arrete(French for she must immediately stop in her tracks)

 

Destination words: go home (when Eluane accompanies me to the mailbox or to a neighbor's house and we are to return back- I just say go home and she races ahead of me and waits for my arrival at the door), Let's Go Get the Mail, Puppy Schoolknows we are going to the agility training center, Puppy Competition for her agility trials, let's take out the Garbage, Go Downstairs, Go Upstairs, Go to Sleep(go to her crate), Car Ride, Momma has to go Shopping versus Momma has to Go to Work - she understands the "length of time" I will be away, Do You Want to Go with Mama? - with the shopping trips it depends on her mood, Momma's taking Bath, You have to Take Bath, Let's Go for Walkies

 

Kitty-Cat, Rabbit(these words get her soooo agitated and furious

 

Housework words (each of these housecleaning duties Eluane will go to different parts of the house- each brings different behavior reactions as well) vacuum, clean house means dusting, Momma's doing laundry

, Momma's cleaning bathtub versus Momma's cleaning bathroom (any other bathroom cleaning - Eluane is obsessed with the shower-bathtub, Mama's Cooking

 

Show Trick Words: Emo(flopping over and looking very depressed), Ears back! , Pirouette for standing on hind legs going in a circle, Hi-Five versus High Ten, then we have a Special Hide-and-Seek Game for Eluane's Designer toys and yes she can separately pick out each one Fetch the Sheepversus Fetch the Gouda (for her Cheese Toy hide-and-seek)versus Fetch the Birdie

 

Toys for the Fetching Game but not the Monkey- that's not her designer toy - the Lion one of her favorite designer toy is not shown (the Gouda is the yellow cheese in front of the Monkey)

 

 

Agility Commands: Mountain (Dog walk), Peak (A-Frame), Dragon (Tunnel), Caterpillar (Chute), Dipper (Teeter), Donut(tire), Hand (focus on the hand), Jete (hurdles), Serpent (Weave Poles)

 

Toys (these ideas were taken from the World's Smartest Dog article in National Geographic): Tuggy, Tuggy Octopus(her large plush crab), Purple Crab, Lion (Designer Toy), Giraffe, Rainbow Wiggle, Flopsy, Pheasant, Fluffy Ducky (Giant Duck) versus Easter Ducky (small pastel blue duck) versus Pancake Ducky (flattened ducky), Gingerbread Man, Snore Lamb versus Lamb, you get the idea, lol! Eluane has about 40 non-Designer toys each with a specific name and that we play name games with on a regular basis.

 

Random words: Brush teeth, You Git Over Here (playful irritation) versus 1-2-3 [if she knows I'm counting- a penalty involved with I'm putting away that Frisbee if you refuse to fetch it properly, lol!) T'allege (french means relieving oneself and is my way of avoiding the embarrassing, "Go Potty", haha!), Do You Want to Dance (Eluane looooves this phrase because it means Dancing and Tuggying with me, Stay versus Wait, Nettoye (french for putting toys into a corner- means "clean up" ooo, I forgot Quiet Time, that's real important, when I have to do computer work. When Eluane was only 7 weeks old she learned about me using a timer as well, she was that keen, and she was an extremely active puppy too, her way of showing rage was running to the couch and just tilting her head pretending to bite it (except she really wasn't biting, just throwing a tantrum). But the perception of timers she got right away about certain increments of time just by verbals and cueing and me picking her up to put on my lap.

 

Here is her head-tilt pretend-chomping ways

 

And oh, there's so many other words, but I think I better stop before becoming too annoying, lol!

[D'Elle]

I suspect that Jes knows at least 300 words, some of them made-up. We do Musical Freestyle together, and I frequently make up words for the cue I want to give to him. Words like "ratoo" and "sunt" tell him to do combinations of moves. It is so much fun watching how fast he learns a new cue word or phrase. :-)

[bn_here_b4]

Our yard is about 2 acres. Jody, my border collie, has nearly 100% immediate recall. It is like he can't stand not to come when I call. He might miss something.

 

Bella, the golden retriever, always comes to me, but she stops to smell the flowers along the way. Sometimes I wait, but if I'm in a hurry I hop on the golf cart and ride across the yard to pick her up. She can't resist the chance to ride in the cart.

 

Lately Joda has decided that any time we are outside and I call Bella it is his cue to run full out for the cart and leap on the seat where he waits for his ride.

[simba]

What I can't figure out is how the dog knows the difference between 'no play now' when I'm going to change my mind in five minutes (when I'm not doing anything particularly important), and 'no play now' when I have to work. One means that the dog either sits and tries to entice me, or waits just out of sight. The other means that the dog flops over and goes to sleep.

[ShoresDog]

Jude knows the word "Oops", which typically means someone cooking has dropped something and that he should wake from the deepest sleep to run into the kitchen to try to find whatever morsel of food that has fallen to the floor.

That situation has its own command here: "Clean up on Aisle Nine!"

[Serena+Eluane B.C.]

Simba, I think it has to do with the voice inflection and the observation/memory skills of a border collie. They know when you are prepping to go to work, versus going to church or going out with the boyfriend, hahaha! all that stuff....They can differentiate the actions leading up to your words. That's how Eluane can tell about what let's go take out the Garbage means for example. She already knows to wait by the door that leads to the Garage where the trash is at, lol! Those subtle cues that she already remembers and recognizes.

 

Speaking of which when Shoresdog mentions the Oops, lol! again the memory cue of someone dropping something....similar to if I get out the baking pans, no food even, just the pans or say the word Mama's cooking without getting anything out, Eluane starts looking at me with her puppy nose, eyes wide anticipating the yummies to follow all because I used to talk to her and say Mama's cooking, while cooking haha! The more you talk to a Border Collie the more they learn. Eluane even knows what I mean when I say "wash feet". She knows when I'm washing my feet, and when she has to go outside in the mudd when I say wash feet, she knows she has to get her feet wiped, haha!

 

Hehe, D'Elle, I don't think Eluane knows more than 300 words. I tried to do an exact countdown long ago, I think we're reeeeal close to 300 words but not more than 320- it's more like between 290 and 305 possibly....

[simba]

I use a particular moniker to signify that the dog has rolled in something awful, and must go to the shower now.