# Do animals self identify with a name? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 16, 2017, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-self-identify-with-a-name/786709 "2017-05-16T01:51:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e8c25b/32.png) [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/excavating_for_a_mind)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2017, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-self-identify-with-a-name/786709/41 "2017-05-17T13:28:11Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > We’ve had similar threads before, and I’ve told this: We had this dog once, Arrow, that I tried an experiment with. While he dozed, I called several names with no reaction. When I finally threw in the name Arrow, he perked right up. Would you then go out a play a game of triangle toss? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2017, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-self-identify-with-a-name/786709/42 "2017-05-17T13:46:14Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I would guess they do not. They don’t seem to have language, and, without language, I can’t see how the concept of a name makes sense. There was this deaf man without language who suddenly had insight and picked it up. And it seemed like he’d never considered the idea that things could have names. You don’t sound like you have much experience with dogs. They do use language in a rudimentary way, sufficient to use the concept of a name. It’s not a difficult thing to do either, a sound is associated with a thing, which could be a person, another animal, or an object. Understanding that things can have a unique identifier is hardly a high level concept. ---
**Author:** ![Waxwinged](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c2a13f/32.png) [@Waxwinged](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waxwinged)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2017, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-self-identify-with-a-name/786709/43 "2017-05-17T22:52:51Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > Can dogs go to particular humans when told something like “Go to John”? Yes- ours knows names of at least 4 other people, and will go/paw/woof at them on command. ETA: She also seems to know locations, regardless of the tone of voice we speak them in. (Dog park, Cottage, River.) ---
**Author:** ![cattalk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cattalk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cattalk)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2017, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-self-identify-with-a-name/786709/44 "2017-05-19T04:58:17Z")
> [@CeleTheRef](#): > > my two dogs understand their names, expecially if in the same sentence as “cookie” 😛 True enough same with my dogs… ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2017, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-self-identify-with-a-name/786709/45 "2017-05-19T18:16:11Z")
I might as well add my anecdote, which we discovered years ago at the park but without a ball to fetch: The Momma Poppa Game, where we toss _him_ back and forth with “Go to Momma/Poppa.” ---
**Author:** ![dstarfire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dstarfire/32/5762_2.png) [@dstarfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dstarfire)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2017, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-self-identify-with-a-name/786709/46 "2017-05-19T19:14:09Z")
Most likely this is a matter of training (whether intentional or not). Melody is trained to respond when her owner says “Melody”. If you reward Miranda for looking up when you say “Melody”, she’d begin acting as though Melody was her name. ---
**Author:** ![Nansbread1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Nansbread1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nansbread1)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2017, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-self-identify-with-a-name/786709/47 "2017-05-21T13:31:31Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Tell me [these dogs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIB78p-Y5cE) don’t know their names. After this video shall we just close the discussion on this topic moderators ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2017, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-self-identify-with-a-name/786709/48 "2017-05-21T22:43:48Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Dogs appear to understand names. They understand their own names and what is not their name, the names of other dogs, other animals, people and things. How that correlates to a sense of self would be difficult to resolve, but clearly dogs do not think of names as simply commands. They use name as identifiers. Here’s a sketchy idea for an experiment that might help to divide the question of whether dogs understand their names as just sounds that mean they should pay attention, or whether they understand the name as being their label. [ul] [li]Teach the dog to respond to its name (as normal)[/li][li]Additionally, demonstrate that you use its name in contexts like “one for me, one for Fido”[/li][li]Teach the dog to put toys on a blanket using commands “Put the ball on the blanket”, “Put the chicken on the blanket”, etc.[/li][li]Once the dog can perform that task reliably, try the instruction “Put Fido on the blanket”[/li][li]If the dog sits on the blanket in response to that instruction, it adds weight to the notion that the dog understands the term ‘Fido’ means itself.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2017, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-self-identify-with-a-name/786709/49 "2017-05-21T22:52:55Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Here’s a sketchy idea for an experiment that might help to divide the question of whether dogs understand their names as just sounds that mean they should pay attention, or whether they understand the name as being their label. > > [ul] > [li]Teach the dog to respond to its name (as normal)[/li][li]Additionally, demonstrate that you use its name in contexts like “one for me, one for Fido”[/li][li]Teach the dog to put toys on a blanket using commands “Put the ball on the blanket”, “Put the chicken on the blanket”, etc.[/li][li]Once the dog can perform that task reliably, try the instruction “Put Fido on the blanket”[/li][li]If the dog sits on the blanket in response to that instruction, it adds weight to the notion that the dog understands the term ‘Fido’ means itself.[/li][/ul] I’m sure it’s tone. I used to play with my Dad’s dog by getting her to sit at one end of the garden and, by calling her name, get her to run over to me (she was a Rottweiler and she’d knock me down then lovingly start nuzzling me - I must have been starved of attention as a boy). I used to call “sit” and “Tessa” but if I swapped the words over and kept the tone identical she would still act as if the words had never been swapped. If I swapped the words AND the tone it wouldn’t work. She would only respond to the tone of my calls. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2017, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-self-identify-with-a-name/786709/50 "2017-05-22T01:00:50Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Here’s a sketchy idea for an experiment that might help to divide the question of whether dogs understand their names as just sounds that mean they should pay attention, or whether they understand the name as being their label. > > [ul] > [li]Teach the dog to respond to its name (as normal)[/li][li]Additionally, demonstrate that you use its name in contexts like “one for me, one for Fido”[/li][li]Teach the dog to put toys on a blanket using commands “Put the ball on the blanket”, “Put the chicken on the blanket”, etc.[/li][li]Once the dog can perform that task reliably, try the instruction “Put Fido on the blanket”[/li][li]If the dog sits on the blanket in response to that instruction, it adds weight to the notion that the dog understands the term ‘Fido’ means itself.[/li][/ul] That might work. It presumes the dog understands the concept of ‘put’ though. The dog would have to be able to put any named object on the blanket, not something every dog can grasp, and in addition the concept that the dog is the same as the objects. There are simpler examples throughout the thread, dogs know how to respond to their own and know when another dog is supposed to respond. That pretty much determines it to me. A name is an identifier, there’s abundant evidence dogs know their own identifier and the identifiers of other dogs, people, and things. If you want to read any more into the concept you could easily be passing a dog’s level of comprehension. You knew your name when you were a very young baby, possibly less intelligent to a dog at that point. You learned the same way dogs do, through repetition of association with a sound. It just doesn’t mean much. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2017, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-self-identify-with-a-name/786709/51 "2017-05-22T01:25:54Z")
> [@smithsb](#): > > Been waiting with these: > … > [https://politicalmonkey2010.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/gary-larson-what-we-say-to-dogs-what-dogs-hear.jpg](https://politicalmonkey2010.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/gary-larson-what-we-say-to-dogs-what-dogs-hear.jpg) > [@cochrane](#): > > [This _Far Side_ cartoon seems appropriate.](https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/47/153603564_7281ad0588.jpg) > [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > Before I click the link I’m guessing “Ginger.” > ETA: Yep. Perfect link for the thread. Some jokes are so good they’re worth repeating. 🙂 I use the phrase “Blah blah Ginger” a lot to describe explaining something to someone hopeless. e.g. “I was talking to pointy-haired boss about the problems with the new TPS report format but it was all blah blah Ginger to him.” ---
**Author:** ![Carryon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc29f/32.png) [@Carryon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carryon)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2017, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-self-identify-with-a-name/786709/52 "2017-05-22T16:16:12Z")
I know cats will respond to tone, my mother could whistle a high note and one cat came and a higher note and the other one came. No one else would make either cat respond, but then again, that’s cats for you. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2017, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-self-identify-with-a-name/786709/53 "2017-05-22T16:19:47Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Some jokes are so good they’re worth repeating. 🙂 > > I use the phrase “Blah blah Ginger” a lot to describe explaining something to someone hopeless. e.g. “I was talking to pointy-haired boss about the problems with the new TPS report format but it was all blah blah Ginger to him.” 🙂 So have I. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-self-identify-with-a-name/786709.md?page=2)