Les chiens connaissent-ils leur nom ?

Vous voulez croire que le nom créatif que vous avez choisi pour votre chien est celui qu'ils connaissent. Après tout, la plupart des chiens viendront quand vous appelez leur nom. Ils s'égayent également lorsque vous leur parlez; certains peuvent même pencher la tête. Il peut également sembler que, comme les humains, certains chiens sont plus expressifs ou bavards que d'autres. Alors, vous pourriez commencer à vous demander, est-ce que les chiens connaissent leurs noms ? Nous comprennent-ils vraiment ?

Bien qu'il n'y ait pas de réponse simple pour savoir si les chiens connaissent ou non leur nom, il existe des moyens de s'assurer qu'ils s'associent mieux à leur nom. Comprendre comment les chiens apprennent leur nom et s'en souvient vous aidera également à devenir un meilleur propriétaire.

Table des matières

• Comment les chiens comprennent leurs humains
• Choisir un nom de chien pour entendre un chien
• Apprendre à un chien son nom
• Comment réagir lorsque votre chien répond à son nom
• Combien de temps faut-il à un chien pour apprendre son nom ?
• Signes qu'un chien connaît son nom
• Who’s a Good Boy?
• FAQ

Comment les chiens comprennent leurs humains

Most animals don’t really know who they are. Unlike humans and crows, most creatures have no sense of self. That’s not to say dogs aren’t intelligent. Most breeds can reconnaître jusqu'à 165 mots on average. There’s even a Border Collie appelé Chaser qui connaît 1 000 noms d'objets différents.

But they learn differently than humans do, as well. So how do dogs know what we’re talking about?

Turns out it’s a mixture of positive reinforcement and deductive reasoning. It’s hypothesized that when you say, “Good morning, Buddy,” your dog isn’t getting excited because you’re greeting him. Rather, he’s wagging his tail and smiling because he knows that particular sounds means he’s getting fed soon.

There’s also the matter of body language. If you grab for the box of dog treats, your dog automatically knows what that means.

Yet, in terms of your dog considering themselves as an individual—as in, “ma name is Buddy”—that simply doesn’t happen. Yes, dogs know what belongs to them, when they get attention over another, what their pee smells like compared to others, and so on, but they don’t know themselves like people do.

Therefore, it’s assumed by most dog trainers and animal behaviorists that dogs perceive their names as a command rather than identification. That’s why when you call their name, they come running.

Choisir un nom de chien pour entendre un chien

Word recognition can be confusing for dogs, because people tend to throw a lot of words at them at once. Unfortunately for us humans, we tend to anthropomorphize our four-legged friends. Again, dogs are intelligent, but they’re not as intelligent as we want them to be.

So when you choose a name, don’t make it incredibly difficult. It’s the same as when you start teaching commands and obedience. You don’t ask them politely to sit down. You simply tell the dog to sit.

In other words, if you’re choosing a name for a dog, consider one that fulfills all the following:

• It’s a short name
• Sons vocaux distincts
• Contient des consonnes dures

By that definition of a good dog name, options like Max, Rover, Duke, Nike, Suzy, and Tina are all considered ideal. If you choose a name with soft sounds, like Echo, Anna, or Ollie, your dog will have a more difficult time picking out your voice from other noises. Additionally, you should avoid long names. While Penelope or Daenerys are fun names, your dog’s brain will muddle it.

Apprendre à un chien son nom

How do dogs learn their name? Through positive reinforcement. You say their name and look for the ideal response, being them coming to you. Don’t be upset if your new puppy or shelter rescue doesn’t respond right away. Names are confusing to dogs at first, because it’s a word they don’t understand. Also, avoid using negative reinforcement or punishment on dogs. They’ll only become scared of you and develop bad behaviors.

The best method for teaching a dog their name is to first choose a good name. Say their name and, if they look at you or come over, give them a treat as positive reinforcement. If your dog isn’t food motivated, play or pets work. Should the dog look away or not respond, you repeat until you get the desired result.

Don’t overload your dog. 3-5 times a day is enough to begin their name recognition.

Afterwards, you can start pairing their name with a command, such as “Fido, sit” or “Fido, lay down.” Because they think of their name as a command to pay attention or come, the secondary command is easier to follow.

Comment réagir lorsque votre chien répond à son nom

Vous voulez accélérer le processus d'apprentissage ? Comme mentionné, le renforcement positif, comme une friandise, est la clé. Les chiens comprennent les louanges comme les gens, so praise them often. You want to show your dog how excited you are when they do the right thing. Saying “yay!” happily when they look at you when you say their name is a start. As your dog gets wiser to their name, add in some other words, like “Hey, you want to go for a walk, Cliff?” and see if they look at you when you say their name. If they do, give them a treat.

Here’s some more tips for teaching your dog their name:

• Offrez de l'affection ou des friandises à votre chien chaque fois qu'il fait quelque chose de bien.
• Say your dog’s name the same way all the time. Avoid singsong and other melodic changes.
• Never use your dog’s name when punishing them. You want your dog to associate his name with only happiness.
• Don’t say your dog’s name when you don’t want a response. If you want to discuss your dog while they’re in the room but don’t want them to respond, try using a nickname. Otherwise, you could cause confusion.

Combien de temps faut-il à un chien pour apprendre son nom ?

To recap: Do dogs know their names? Not really. They don’t learn that their name is Fido or Frank. But they will understand that their name requires their attention. If you tell your dog their name consistently for a two-week period, they should know it within two and half weeks. Consistency, though, is crucial.

Répétez le processus de formation tous les jours et soutenez toujours leur bon travail avec un renforcement positif.

De plus, l'âge du chien et sa race auront un impact sur la rapidité avec laquelle il apprend son nom. Les chiots reprennent leur nom plus rapidement que les chiens plus âgés. Les races de travail et de berger ont également tendance à apprendre les commandes plus rapidement que les autres races.

Signes qu'un chien connaît son nom

Alors vous êtes peut-être curieux. Comment savoir quand un chien connaît son nom ? Quels sont les signes ? Les chiens répondront au ton de votre voix et à leur nom, même à distance, quand ils le sauront. Par exemple, si vous appelez leur nom au parc à chiens, ils devraient accourir.

You can start testing how well they know their name by creating distance. In the beginning of name training, you start face-to-face. Soon put furniture, walls, rooms, and greater amounts of space between you. Also, look for eye contact, tail wags, perked up ears, cocked heads, and other signs of excitement. Some dogs will even bark when you say their name, because they know they’ll be rewarded somehow.

Who’s a Good Boy?

Do dogs know their names? Depends. Dogs might not know the name is referring to them, but they do know that the word is associated with good things. If you train your dog well and with plenty of praise, they will come to love their name and what it means. Use their name to build a stronger bond, and they’ll come running whenever you call.

FAQ