How many words do dogs know?

Sit! Stay! Walkies! Your dog knows these commands and understands a lot more of your conversations than you think. Research shows that the average trained dog knows about 165 words. Some even have a vocabulary as big as a human toddler’s!

 

Dogs with jobs, such as those trained to work in the military, with police or in search and rescue, have much larger vocabularies—about 1.5 times larger than dogs without this specialized career training. With rigorous training, the smartest dogs (such as border collies, German shepherds and poodles) have been known to learn up to 1,000 words! 

So how can you teach your dog new words?

Repetition, repetition, repetition! If you want your dog to learn the names of their toys, start with one (e.g., a ball), show it to them, say the word “ball!” and then place the ball a few feet away. Tell your dog, “Find ball!” and reward them with either a treat or praise when they mouth the ball. Repeat this exercise a few times a day, playing with your dog and the ball for about five minutes. Be consistent with the phrase you use (“Find ball!”) and repeat the word at least 20 to 30 times during each play session. Eventually, hide the ball out of sight and ask your dog to “find ball!”

Tips for success

• Keep all other toys off the floor when you practice this exercise. Only have the one toy that you’re focusing on. 
• Repeat the word over and over.
• Be consistent with your phrases and words.
• After your dog has learned the first toy, set it aside and introduce a new one (e.g., “Find frisbee!” or “Find Kong!”)
• Use positive reinforcement to help your dog learn new words quickly. When your dog responds correctly to the word, reward them with a treat or praise. 

If you follow these steps consistently and repeatedly with your dog, they’ll soon be responding to many more words!

Find out how to teach your older dog new tricks! >>