Can dogs 'talk'?

We talk to our cat and he chats back. We had a Sheltie years ago, he knew what time his walk was he would let you know and when it was his mealtime. He used to put his head on one side when I spoke to him.

My dog has lots of different noises she makes depending on what’s happening to her or what she hears. She has different warning barks if she sees something she doesn’t like, different groans depending on whether she is getting her tummy rubbed or ears scratched, and noises for ‘are you coming down the stairs yet’ and ‘ let me in to the loo so I can stare at you’!

She can recognise five peoples names and go to them separately. She also knows walk, dinner, eggs, wee-wee, bed and all the usual training words.

All dogs are different but I have noticed that when we talk to her she really studies your face to try and work out what you mean, more so than my previous dog who was the same breed.

Of course they talk in their own way, I understand every word my bearded collie barks!!!

My late terrier had a specific yip he only used when I was 5 minutes from home. He had another one for my daughter returning on the bus at 4pm. He had another urgent bark for “come quick someone’s in trouble” and another for someone at the door. The rest of the time he was really quiet, especially when hunting or hiding from me! My current lab, Zak, is very vocal and “talks” to me a lot but doesn’t have as many discrete noises as Jed had

I think dogs definately understand certain words. We used to have to spell the word " lead" and "walk" whenever we were at our daughters house. If we actually said those particular words her dog would rush into the hallway and try and jump up towards the peg were it's lead was, expecting that it was getting another walk. It also recognised the names of some of the toys it had....ie, tugger, squeaker etc. We would play fetch games with it and it would bring straightaway whichever you toy you named. Maybe some breeds are more tuned in than others perhaps.

Have read somewhere that dogs can understand conversations and not just single words like sit down etc. Nobody will know for sure as they just can't tell you

I don't know about my dog speaking, because he isn't very vocal, but he definitely has selective hearing.

Yes definitely - we understand most of our dogs' different barks, attention please, can I come in, there might be a problem, there is a problem, come quick etc

Sorry - paws not hands.

Of course dogs can talk in their own way, and understand more than we realise both from our words and body language. They mind read too. We are putty in their hands.

And as for cats, well .........

That's the same dog who could speak btw

Our last dog got very excited if he saw me put my coat on - but if I said 'sorry, I'm going to work' he used to give me a filthy look and slink off to his bed.

I believe there’s research that suggests dogs can learn to recognise up to about fifty or sixty common words.

In my own observations though, I notice most of them are names of foods

Fennel, I wasn't criticising you. Many people give cooked bones to their pets with no problems. Vets are set against it because they're the people operating when problems do arise.
My dogs faces light up when they hear their names and words like 'walk' or 'treat'
They don't always hear instructions like 'in your beds'

That's why I asked my neighbour, Iam. He said Bruno is used to them. Apart from chicken bones.
Lemon that's what I thought. His name, and 'bone'.

I have a talking poodle cross. She looks like Chewbacca (waves to the poster of that name) from Star Wars and has a similar 'voice'. The older she gets, the more she likes the sound of her own voice and I'm working hard on teaching her 'quiet' or enough.
Dogs recognise many familiar words and phrases. They're adept at reading body language.
Fennel, very kind of you to consider giving the dog a bone and not wishing to be a superior misery guts but, it's a bad idea to give dogs any cooked bones. They 're more likely to splinter and cause all kinds of problems. I know I know, when we were growing up dogs got all the scraps but all the vets I know say an absolute No to any cooked bones.

Yes, dogs have different barks in different circumstances. My Bengal cat certainly has a large vocabulary!

May I just let you know that it is advised not to give cooked bones to dogs as they will sometimes splinter and damage the digestive tract.

Of course they can!
Where do you think they found all the talking dogs on the TV adverts

Not Mark - or Ruth

the dog was reacting to hearing his name

Although, if he was used to having bones to chew he would remember the word 'bone' I expect.

cats know certain words too, and love the word 'dinner' as do certain husbands.

My cat can say Mama - does that count

Maw .

Or Ruth (woof)?

Was her name Mark?

I would call up the stairs to DD and the dog would come and call her name too.