This is mostly me just pondering out loud. Just a warning.
I always wonder how much do dogs understand. Mia has this uncanny ability to seem to pick out words, names, and language. I mean... All dogs do. Beau is the king of knowing 101 ways people are saying they're going to let the dogs out. Mia is a step further and it makes me question just HOW MUCH can they understand.
In one instance Mia learned the word mouse means small furry thing. Squirrel was a similar thing for her. You can hide her toys and tell her to go find the ball or the 'bunny' (tug) and she will search for it and bring it back. She will look a long time. She knows Summer's name and if I ask her to find Summer she will. Summer has shown no indication that she knows 'Mia' means Mia.
I've done some naming sessions where I teach her a few objects. Something like pen, book, toy. Short session and she will go to each by name. I haven't tried more than a few at a time.
Other instances... She's escaped the tub before and run into the living room and I tell her 'go get back in the tub' and she does. Or last night I told her to get on the couch and she did. I am sure a lot is just informal training. Things I taught her that I didn't intentionally mean to. Of course even summer does that but not to the same variety of things Mia does.
Anyways just been thinking and wondering about dogs and language in particular. It seems incredible how much of it they can seem to understand. I just wonder how much they really do understand. Mia seems to have generalized 'where is' to mean she needs to look for something. She seems to know 'get on x' or 'go over there'. I think the most intriguing is that she seems to know 'Summer' means that other dog that lives here.
I'm probably thinking too much lol.
I always wonder how much do dogs understand. Mia has this uncanny ability to seem to pick out words, names, and language. I mean... All dogs do. Beau is the king of knowing 101 ways people are saying they're going to let the dogs out. Mia is a step further and it makes me question just HOW MUCH can they understand.
In one instance Mia learned the word mouse means small furry thing. Squirrel was a similar thing for her. You can hide her toys and tell her to go find the ball or the 'bunny' (tug) and she will search for it and bring it back. She will look a long time. She knows Summer's name and if I ask her to find Summer she will. Summer has shown no indication that she knows 'Mia' means Mia.
I've done some naming sessions where I teach her a few objects. Something like pen, book, toy. Short session and she will go to each by name. I haven't tried more than a few at a time.
Other instances... She's escaped the tub before and run into the living room and I tell her 'go get back in the tub' and she does. Or last night I told her to get on the couch and she did. I am sure a lot is just informal training. Things I taught her that I didn't intentionally mean to. Of course even summer does that but not to the same variety of things Mia does.
Anyways just been thinking and wondering about dogs and language in particular. It seems incredible how much of it they can seem to understand. I just wonder how much they really do understand. Mia seems to have generalized 'where is' to mean she needs to look for something. She seems to know 'get on x' or 'go over there'. I think the most intriguing is that she seems to know 'Summer' means that other dog that lives here.
I'm probably thinking too much lol.
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