Koro understood dozens of words and phrases, including some in French and German!

I used to teach English as a Second Language to people from many different countries, and I think many of the principles needed to successfully help foreign students learn English can also be applied to dogs. Consistency, clarity, relevance, repetition—these are all just as important in dog language training as in human language training.

Obviously, dogs are more clued in to human body language than our spoken language (since canine body language is their mother tongue), but it's not hard to get dogs to shift their focus and learn English words (or words in another language). My first dog, Koro, not only knew dozens of words and phrases in English, she also knew many words in French and German (including her name pronounced in three different accents) because we lived together in France and Germany too.

It really gets my hackles up when I see control freaks who communicate with their dogs in only one way—commands. It's like they think they're drill sergeants, and their dogs are lowly recruits. All they do is "bark" orders (pun intended). You see them in vet's offices and at the dog park. It's so frustrating when you know that their communication could be so much more nuanced and enjoyable—both for the dogs and for themselves.

I've been thinking about the many types of verbal communication that can occur between humans and dogs other than commands, and I thought I would jot down some examples.

Apologies: It happens from time to time that we accidentally hurt our dogs. We step on their tails when the lighting isn't good or we drop a spoon on them in the kitchen. This is a good time for a very clear apology—always in the same tone of voice with the same words so that our dogs immediately understand that what happened was unintentional. This is especially important for rescued dogs who have been abused in the past and aren't too sure that we won't turn against them just like their previous owners.

Choices: Our dogs have so little control over their own lives. We decide when they eat, what they eat, when they go for walks, and on and on. It's really nice for them to get to make a few decisions of their own. For example, when you're on a walk with your dogs and you come to an intersection, you can ask, "Which way?" and let them decide. My late husky, Darby, lived for his walks, and he had us going in different directions every single day—no two walks were ever the same.

Suggestions: My dogs and I have a ritual that we engage in first thing in the morning and then every time I come home, but it's purely voluntary. I always propose to them, "Let’s go outside!" No one has to go outside—it's just a suggestion—but, of course, they always take me up on it … unless it's raining.

Requests: These are like commands but not so strict. For example, in my tiny house, we often have traffic jams, so I'll say, "Excuse me!" to get my dogs to move out of the way, but it's like a soft command that I wouldn't necessarily enforce. Or if we're out walking, and I want to cross the street, I'll say, "Let's cross!" so they know that that's my intention, but I'm not going to insist if they haven't finished sniffing something interesting.

Providing Information: Dogs thrive on routine and predictability, yet so much of their lives isn't predictable (to them). They're at the mercy of our daily schedules, which can be chaotic, so they have no idea what to expect on any given day at any given time. We can help add some predictability to our dogs' lives by trying to maintain a consistent daily routine, but we can also tell them what's going to happen next. If we always use the same terminology, they'll understand exactly what we mean. For example, I walk my dogs in three shifts, so before each shift, I simply make an announcement as to which dogs' turn it is.

One very useful, informative phrase is "All done!" Once dogs understand what it means ("The current activity is finished"), the phrase can be extrapolated to any activity, either positive or negative. For example, I can signal the end of a vet appointment or the end of a nail-clipping session by saying, "All done!" and I can also indicate that the last treat that I handed out was the final one. (This makes it possible to give dogs table scraps without having them beg throughout the rest of the meal.)

Also in this category would be "Oops!" which I use to respond to very minor infractions just to convey that I didn't like what they did, such as if one of them gets too pushy.

I also like to be able to convey to my dogs how long I'm going to be away from home. If I'm just going around the block, I use different language from what I would say if I were leaving to go to work. And if I'm embarking on a trip of several days' duration, I communicate the amount of time that I'm going to be gone by counting out the number of days for them. I don't know how much of it they truly understand, but I like to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that they're able to gain some sense of what to expect over the next few days.

Words of Appreciation: Sometimes I'll look at my whole pack and just lovingly and goofily gush, "How did Mommy get so lucky to have so many ANGELS! I know it's silly and highly embarrassing, but dogs just love that kind of attention. They eat it up. They all start wagging their tails and wiggling and looking very pleased, so I think it really gives them a nice, warm-and-fuzzy feeling.

Songs: I think all dogs should have their own song that gets sung to them regularly. When you sing their special song to them, dogs feel appreciated. You have to try this, if you haven't already. I'll give you some examples. Sophia's song is to the tune of "Maria" from West Side Story: "Sophia! I just met a girl named Sophia. Say it loud and it's music playing. Say it soft, and it's almost like praying." Dexter's song is based on a 1979 hit song, "Doctor Doctor": "Dexter, Dexter, gimme the news. I got a bad case of lovin' you." And Sunny has two songs: a Paul Mauriat song from the 1970s, called "Sunny" ("Sunny, thank you for the love that you give to me") and the popular 1940 song "You Are My Sunshine" ("You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away"). You don't have to be a good singer—your dogs won't care at all!

So talk to your dogs as much as possible, using consistent phrases (and a little drama and some silliness wouldn't hurt). They understand a lot more than you think. Much of it they just pick up on without any effort on our part because they're just so exquisitely sensitive and perceptive. I know some people even have to spell in front of their dogs in order to discuss topics that they don't want their dogs to understand!