# Do animals understand the concept of names? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 11, 2013, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-understand-the-concept-of-names/676072 "2013-12-11T15:06:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Artemis\_Tardis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4bbf92/32.png) [@Artemis\_Tardis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Artemis_Tardis)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-understand-the-concept-of-names/676072/1 "2013-12-11T15:06:54Z")
I was wondering if pets and animals understand the concept of names. The name of a person is the basis of any language - Me Tarzan! Tarzan is Hungry! anyway… Do animals also have this basic understanding of language that there is a sound to represent ITSELF? Or pets only come to you when you call them by their names because they see that as a command, such as COME HERE? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-understand-the-concept-of-names/676072/2 "2013-12-11T15:13:48Z")
Impossible to really tell unless you can ask one directly, which is what researcher try to do when teaching apes human communication skills. Koko at least used her name in conversation quite often. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-understand-the-concept-of-names/676072/3 "2013-12-11T15:15:24Z")
I have seven Jacks. When I call one of their names the others look at the one I called. Not sure how to tell if they actually know their names but their reaction is as if they do. I have one that is a diabetic and he sometimes avoids me around shot time. I will tell Blaze to go get Bandit and he does. Also with treats, I will call each name and only that dog will get up and come get his treat while the others sit and wait. I mix up the order of calling them all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-understand-the-concept-of-names/676072/4 "2013-12-11T16:30:15Z")
Not only do dogs understand the names that humans give them, but wild parrots give themselves names (or rather, parents give names to their offspring, similarly to how most human cultures do it). ---
**Author:** ![Caldazar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Caldazar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caldazar)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-understand-the-concept-of-names/676072/5 "2013-12-11T16:36:06Z")
My dog also reacts as if he understands his name. If he’s sitting nearby when I call, he will turn and look at me. If he’s out of sight, he’ll come. In either case, he’ll wait for a while, expecting me to give him a command. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-understand-the-concept-of-names/676072/6 "2013-12-11T16:36:13Z")
I think they do understand names. My dog seems to recognize the names of all the neighborhood dogs he interacts with. He knows the difference between squirrels, racoons, cats etc by name. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-understand-the-concept-of-names/676072/7 "2013-12-11T16:46:17Z")
There have been experiments on dogs, parrots and porpoises, all of whom seem to understand names for individuals and names for classes of things (e.g., all these objects are _toys_, but only this toy is named _Oscar_). [Here’s a _Scientific American_ blog piece](http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/dog-spies/2013/07/30/how-to-teach-language-to-dogs/) about a particular dog. Another good source is the book [_ **Animal Wise** _](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14868863-animal-wise). ---
**Author:** ![JerrySTL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-understand-the-concept-of-names/676072/8 "2013-12-11T19:29:36Z")
My dog certainly understands names. If I say ‘get mommy’ he looks for my wife. If I say the names of any of my kids dogs, he goes to the front door to see if they are coming. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-understand-the-concept-of-names/676072/9 "2013-12-11T19:33:40Z")
Obligatory _Far Side_ link: [http://www.3dincites.com/wp-content/uploads/far-side-what-dogs-hear-243x300.jpg](http://www.3dincites.com/wp-content/uploads/far-side-what-dogs-hear-243x300.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-understand-the-concept-of-names/676072/10 "2013-12-11T20:36:24Z")
My dog knows the command “where is” and will find whatever comes after. “Where is your lead” - she gets her lead; “where is [gracer]” - she finds me. If I am away and my mum asks her where I am she runs around trying to find me and ends up angrily barking at my mother in frustration. Her best doggie friend was called Uncas, the neighbour’s dog. He died years ago, but if you say his name she still runs into the garden to find him. ☹ I don’t know why it would be any different than knowing other words. My dog has a pretty big vocabulary, and also knows lots of names. “Where is” has turned out to be a pretty useful command! ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-understand-the-concept-of-names/676072/11 "2013-12-11T20:41:32Z")
> [@Lanzy](#): > > I have seven Jacks. When I call one of their names the others look at the one I called. Not sure how to tell if they actually know their names but their reaction is as if they do. > I have one that is a diabetic and he sometimes avoids me around shot time. I will tell Blaze to go get Bandit and he does. > Also with treats, I will call each name and only that dog will get up and come get his treat while the others sit and wait. I mix up the order of calling them all the time. My Jack behaves the same way, and always has. Perhaps some breeds have this ability and some don’t. Not all dogs are the same of course. ---
**Author:** ![pohjonen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pohjonen/32/423_2.png) [@pohjonen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pohjonen)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-understand-the-concept-of-names/676072/12 "2013-12-11T20:48:35Z")
> [@Lanzy](#): > > I have seven Jacks. When I call one of their names the others look at the one I called. Not sure how to tell if they actually know their names but their reaction is as if they do. > I have one that is a diabetic and he sometimes avoids me around shot time. I will tell Blaze to go get Bandit and he does. > Also with treats, I will call each name and only that dog will get up and come get his treat while the others sit and wait. I mix up the order of calling them all the time. At first I thought you had seven dogs named Jack and they still knew which one you mean - they are psychic too! ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-understand-the-concept-of-names/676072/13 "2013-12-11T21:00:54Z")
Ditto with names and our cats. If I see one doing something bad and yell its name, the others quickly look at it to see what’s going on. If they are in a group and you call gently to one, that one is usually the one to look up (or least halfway open its eye). ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-understand-the-concept-of-names/676072/14 "2013-12-11T21:04:46Z")
> [@pohjonen](#): > > At first I thought you had seven dogs named Jack and they still knew which one you mean - they are psychic too! Ha. I guess I should have said Jack Russell. BTW a dog’s nose just might convince you they are psychic. ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-understand-the-concept-of-names/676072/15 "2013-12-11T21:24:23Z")
> [@pohjonen](#): > > At first I thought you had seven dogs named Jack and they still knew which one you mean - they are psychic too! [Too Many Daves!](http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/171612) ---
**Author:** ![F.Pu-du-he-pa-as](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c89c15/32.png) [@F.Pu-du-he-pa-as](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.Pu-du-he-pa-as)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-understand-the-concept-of-names/676072/16 "2013-12-11T21:28:15Z")
Naming is known in at least one species of parrot, _Forpus conspicillatus_, the spectacled parrotlet-- parents name their chicks. [More details here](http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=3415). ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-understand-the-concept-of-names/676072/17 "2013-12-11T21:28:56Z")
> [@Lanzy](#): > > Ha. I guess I should have said Jack Russell. BTW a dog’s nose just might convince you they are psychic. My two dogs certainly know which is which by name and who Mommy and Daddy are. But mostly I’m posting because I wanted to share the this tidbit about their psychic noses. I’d have one of the neighbor kids or a niece or nephew hide a small treat in one of their hands and hold both out in front of them. Our previous dog would sit in front of them and reach up and invariably tap the correct hand with her paw. Always fascinated the kids until they got old enough to figure it out. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-understand-the-concept-of-names/676072/18 "2013-12-11T21:46:17Z")
> [@Flywheel](#): > > [Too Many Daves!](http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/171612) [These are the Daves I know I know](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF1chLj1fro). ---
**Author:** ![Marion\_Wormer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@Marion\_Wormer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marion_Wormer)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-understand-the-concept-of-names/676072/19 "2013-12-12T00:01:27Z")
Dogs know human names too. At least my grandmother’s chihuahua could be told “Go get Pearl.” or “Where’s Granny?” or “Find OM.” He would go to the named person and bark at them. Anyway, dog names for humans is probably by smell, but I guess they can translate. ---
**Author:** ![LupusYonderboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9d8465/32.png) [@LupusYonderboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LupusYonderboy)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-understand-the-concept-of-names/676072/20 "2013-12-12T15:52:29Z")
My two cats seem to know their own and each other’s names. Cat number 1 is rather jealous. When I need cat number 1 to come, and she doesn’t feel like it, I just start calling cat number 2’s name; cat number 1 will come running. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-understand-the-concept-of-names/676072.md?page=2)