How many words do dogs know?

    

Ready! Set! Learn! Your dog may know simple commands like sit and stay, but they may also understand a lot more than you think. Studies show that the average trained dog understands about 165 words, on par with that of a human toddler!

 

 

Dogs with important jobs, like those serving in the military, with police forces or in search and rescue, tend to have much larger vocabularies—about 1.5 times larger than their non-career-driven counterparts. And when it comes to the cream of the canine crop, think border collies, German shepherds and poodles—they’ve been known to grasp as many as 1,000 words thanks to their smarts and intensive training.

So how do you expand your pup’s vocabulary?
It’s all about repetition, repetition, repetition! To introduce new words like the names of their toys, start with one—let’s say a ball. Show it to your pup, enthusiastically say “ball!” and then place it a few feet away. Then, encourage them to “Find ball!” and offer a reward like treats or praise when they grab it. Practice this routine a few times daily, engaging in a five-minute play session each time. 

Keep your phrasing consistent, repeating the chosen word or phrase 20 to 30 times per session. Once they’ve mastered this step, start hiding the toy and asking them to find it. 

To ensure success

• Remove all other toys from sight during training. Only have the one toy that you’re focusing on. 
• Be consistent with the designated phrase or word. 
• Reward correct responses with positive reinforcement, whether it’s a treat or praise; positive reinforcement will lead to success!
• Once they’ve mastered the first toy, switch it up with a new phrase like “Find frisbee!” or “Find Kong!”

If you follow these steps consistently and repeatedly with your dog, they’ll soon be responding to a whole array of words!

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