Dogs remember and learn words in a similar way to children: through repeated association. The dog owners among us have all witnessed our pets having an organic understanding of words such as "treat", "walk" and "go". This occurs because the word has value to them; it signifies something they enjoy. Mastering this basic concept will enable you to teach your pet proper nouns, which can serve as a gateway to teaching additional elements of human language and syntax. Here, John W Pilley, author of *Chaser:
Unlocking the Genius of the Dog Who Knows 1,000 Words* (Oneworld), explains how.
Use play to keep it simple Begin by using play with toys to teach your dog proper nouns. When introducing the first toy, have only that one toy present to create less margin for error. Show your pet the object and using a soft but excited voice, address your dog directly to gain their attention. Name the toy: "This is Blue."
Keep repeating the toy's name while playing: "Find Blue, catch Blue, I want Blue."
Repetition and reinforcement Repeat the above several times over three days, ensuring the play remains fun for the dog. If it has trouble finding the toy, assist it with a visual cue. When it finds the object, immediately praise it. When your dog can successfully bring you the toy from another room, introduce a new one and repeat the process.
A moment of realisation As you build repertoire, continue to play with all the toys to secure them into the dog's long-term memory. After a few months something will click in your dog's brain and it will realise that objects have names. This creates "fast mapping", meaning it will be able to learn the names of objects in one trial.
Learning builds on learning You will eventually be able to advance to combinatorial learning: combining a behaviour with an object. You can couple the familiar toys your pet has learned with an existing instinctive behaviour such as "fetch", "catch", and "find". You can also begin to teach common nouns such as ball, Frisbee, stick, etc. Incorporate adjectives such as "bigger stick, smaller stick".
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
