Speed Bump by Dave Coverly for November 27, 2022

But do you guys understand what B-A-R-K means.

Shouldn’t that be P-A-R-K?

I L-I-K-E.

“Y-O-U-R T-U-R-N.”

Some dogs can learn to spell. Our little dog learned w-a-l-k, plus a-m-b-l-e, and s-t-r-o-l-l, as well as the full word on longer words. He was a deep thinker for a dog. First one in his litter to figure out how to get out of the box and go exploring. He split a corner and squeezed through.

T r e a t !

our corgi has learned every word and spelling for walk. We even tried French.

Then there’s people like me that just have a Cat, Domestic, Black and White in color. Nothing particular. just a cat.

We had a Black Lab who could spell. Her words were walk, out, car, cookie, and brush. My sister drove her crazy during baseball season when she watched the games and yelled at the TV.

On my birthday one year in college (shared that birthday with my boyfriend at the time), we were eating at Mom & Dad’s. Yum! She pulled the sad brown eyes on my boyfriend and told him she was a poor starving dog from Ethiopia. He told her to ask her mom, and she did! We then said it was time for a w-a-l-k. She wagged her tail hard. He said, “You have to be careful around the d-o-g. I think the d-o-g can s-p-e-l-l.” I didn’t think she could wag her tail even harder, but she did.

T-H-A-T-H-A-N-D-S-O-M-E-S-E-T-T-E-R-N-E-X-T-D-O-O-R!

One of our dogs. PIcks up on all kinds of cues, besides the word “walk.” If I open the closet to get a coat, turn on the porch light, or even ask Siri for the temperature!

You should have never sent her to school…

I read somewhere that some dogs have a working vocabulary of around 300 words. Listening, not speaking!

Try p-e-r-a-m-b-u-l-a-t-e. Although she’ll figure that out eventually.

Yes, we humans, the “superior” species, cannot understand dog-speak, but dogs, the “inferior” species, can understand our speech. Very interesting.

My fathers last boy knew what B-A-T-H was.

But do you know?

loridobson has the right idea.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clever_Hans#Investigation

… but I doubt that will convince anyone here.

Ours learned the word ball, then figured out what b-a-l-l was. From there we started saying RRRT (red rubber round thing), she learned that as well.