Do Dogs Really Understand Their Nicknames?

Why do we name our dogs then immediately give them nicknames? I have two dogs- Yogi and Simon. I call Yogi by his name, of course.

Look at that precious thing!

But he also gets referred to as "Yogs," "Yoggurs," and "My Best Friend." He most definitely responds to "Yogs" and "Yoggurs," but I don't think he has a freaking clue what "My Best Friend" means.

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Here's the funny thing about Simon. Like Yogi, he came to me from SPARKY- Savings Paws Animal Rescue of Kentucky. But, his name wasn't Simon the day I met him.

Look at this sweet thing too!

His original name was "Tweety," a name that I abhorred. So, he was quickly renamed Simon. But, here's the irony, my nickname for him now is "My Tweet Boy." Sometimes, I just call him "The Tweet" for short.

My co-host Mary-Katherine has a SPARKY rescue dog too. His name is Duane.

Of course, he already a couple of nicknames too. He also goes by Duane-Wayney and Duaney Doddle and Duaney Doodle Boy.

MKat's dog Freddie keeps getting middle names added to his identity.

His full name, as it stands today, is now Freddie Eddie Frito-Feet Escargot Maddox. At the rate that dog is acquiring middle names, I am assuming there will be a new one in the mix by the time you're finished reading this story.

DO DOGS UNDERSTAND THEIR NICKNAMES?

So, do we just confuse dogs when we call them by nicknames? Or do they actually understand them? Naturally, I consulted the interwebs to find out.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE A DOG TO LEARN ITS NAME?

According to various researchers, as cited Kinship.com's "How Your Dog Actually Feels About All Those Silly Nicknames You Give Them," believe that dogs learn their names relatively quickly and nicknames "can even reinforce an exclusive shared context between you and your dog, evoking your special bond each time you use it." If that's the case, we're bonding by the minute at my house.

The folks at the American Kennel Club seem to agree. In a recent story, AKC Pet Insurance cites recent studies that have shown that "dogs process language in a similar way humans do." They "understand body language, tone of voice, and context clues."

They also learn to associate words with things. Heck, I can attest to that. My dogs lose their minds when I say the word "treat," "bye bye," "pup cup," or "Dentastix." Yogi also loses his mind- in a completely different way when I mention the words "Aunt Ruth." He knows Ruth is his groomer and he is not a fan. He's like being pretty (and he knows that he is), but he hates the process to get him looking that way.

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY DOG KNOWS ITS NAME?

If you're not sure if your dog understands his/her nickname, the AKC recommends being on the lookout for these positive affirmations: 1) Is their tail wagging? 2) Are their ears perked up? 3) Do they come directly to you when you call them by their nickname? Yogi and Simon do all three when I call them by their nicknames. Mary-Katherine says her boys do too.

So, there you have it! It appears that dogs absolutely learn to respond to a variety of names. I guess that means Freddie's about to get another one.