Friday, December 4, 2009

Talking Fido



Though the phenomenon is often undiscussed, some dogs may try to repeat human speech sounds, or are trained to do so. This kind of vocalization does not have a set meaning, and is unique to its situation. Recent examples have included a whimpering pug on the Late Show with David Letterman. A Hungarian Vizsla was also trained to speak a few words. The Vizsla can say "Food", "Help", and "Play" although these words often sound a little bit garbled and are sometimes hard to understand. This does not appear to be limited to any particular breed, though to quote trainer A.J. Haggerty:

"Generally, dogs that have a brachycephalic head — a wide head with a short muzzle — like the Bulldog, are good candidates for talking. They have cavernous mouths that make it easier for them to produce rounder sounds. I have found that Rottweilers are among the best talkers, because of the shape of their heads, and the fact that they have a high energy level. Terriers can also be good talkers, because they’re high energy dogs."
Source: Wikipedia-En

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