A Test for Your Dog

 

 

Stanley Coren , who is a Professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, says that he can attend a movie produced in English, Russian, German, Spanish, French or Italian and has no trouble following the story line and even understanding the dialogue and jokes. Or he can read a letter in any of those languages and make a passable translation into his native tongue which is English. However if asked what languages he speaks Coren would say that he speaks English fluently, Spanish almost fluently, German at a considerably lower level, French with minimal understandability and Russian and Italian at the three year old level. He believes that there is a vast difference between understanding a language and expressing yourself in that language. In his book How To Speak Dog he says this is especially true with regard to dogs.

Coren has three dogs. He has a Cairn Terrier, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a mutt flat-coated retriever. He believes all three of his dogs (all male) have about the same intelligence and learning capability but widely varying personalities. He also thinks that each of the three have a "vocabulary" of about 400 English words that they know the meaning of and respond to in one way or another. Of that 400 word vocabulary he says there are 46 commands or phrases that all three dogs respond to in the same way and consistently. These he calls "commands". At the risk of boring you, which I don't mind doing I have listed these 46 commands and given the dog's response to each:

Away - dog backs off.

Back - Used only with respect to car-tells dog where to go.

Bad Dog - Submissively cringes, may leave room

Be Close -Dogs move closer to Coren

Be Quick - Learned in housebreaking--assumes elim.position.

By Me - Dog comes to Coren's left side

Collar Off? - Dog dips head to facillitate collar removal.

Collar on - Dog raises head to accept collar.

Come - dog comes

Den - Dog goes to Coren's office and waits.

Do you want to play? - All Hell breaks loose

Down - Dog lies without changing location.

Downstairs - Dog goes downstairs.

Drop It - Dog spits it out - even food.

Excuse me! - Dog moves aside to permit passage.

Find Glove - formal command at competition trials.

Front - Dog sits in front of Coren and awaits command.

Give - Dog allows object to be taken from mouth.

Go Back - Dog goes in direction Coren points.

Good dog - exhuberant pleasure

Heel-Dog walks close by left side - neither ahead nor behind

Hugs - playful command. Dog jumps up to be petted in air.

In - Dog enters door or gate.

Jump - tells dog to jump over an object

Kennel - Dog goes to its kennel and waits.

Let's Go - like "Heel" except dog can lead or lag slightly

Loose - play command to chase a thrown object.

No - Dog freezes like a statue

Pick up your toys - searches room brings toys

Playtime! - A release from a formal command

Quiet - Dog stops barking.

Roll over - lies on back for stomach scratch

Seek - Formal command to follow scent trail.

Settle - Dog can sit, stand or lie but must stay in area

Snuggle - Dog drapes its head over Coren's shoulder

Take it - formal command to retrieve

Time to clean your eyes - puts jaws in left hand

Up - Jumps on Bench or table

Who wants a cookie - all dogs run to kitchen counter

Who wants a ride - Pep rally at front door.

Who wants to go for a walk - same as for "ride"

 

Now his dogs weren't so smart. Nero and Katy could do all that.

You'll hear more of Coren.