# Does your pet know Left from Right? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 21, 2024, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-pet-know-left-from-right/999150 "2024-03-21T16:07:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2024, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-pet-know-left-from-right/999150/21 "2024-03-21T22:46:32Z")
my pets are not fluent in english … ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2024, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-pet-know-left-from-right/999150/22 "2024-03-21T23:29:16Z")
Most dogs try very hard to learn whatever language the humans around them are speaking. Most cats expect the humans to learn Cat. Most dogs are much better at learning Human than most humans are at learning either Cat or Dog. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2024, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-pet-know-left-from-right/999150/23 "2024-03-22T05:04:03Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Dogs are really smart. Yep. My latest Command is “Go Find Dixie” when the old girl is slow to come back into the house at the final Pee-pee. I saw Hickory run out, find her, and push her butt with her nose towards the house. Ran alongside her till they were both at the back door. Just to be clear, I didn’t actually ‘train’ them to do this, but I won’t let the other two in till all three are at the back door. I say, “Go find Dixie”. They will take off into the night and bark and run around and they always end up coming up with her very soon, but this is the first time I’ve seen it happen. Pretty cool. Good Crew. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2024, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-pet-know-left-from-right/999150/24 "2024-03-22T12:15:50Z")
> [@Al128](#): > > my pets are not fluent in english A guy I know acquires and trains GSD and Malinois for police work. Because many of the dogs start out in Europe, he has learned German and Polish commands. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2024, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-pet-know-left-from-right/999150/25 "2024-03-22T12:23:47Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Yep. My latest Command is “Go Find Dixie” when the old girl is slow to come back into the house at the final Pee-pee. Want. I’ve one dog that likes to go out and bark sometimes. It’s really a “Is anybody there?” bark. My other dog will go out and look around “What the hell are you barking at?” I would like to see other dog, escort barking dog back into the house. We have a doggie door. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/22080_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2024, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-pet-know-left-from-right/999150/26 "2024-03-22T12:43:19Z")
My husband’s aunt has some sort of terrier that indicates whether she wants to eat or go outside based on which of the aunt’s hands she touches. It wouldn’t work with our pug - she’d always pick EAT!!! ---
**Author:** ![Jegpeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jegpeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jegpeg)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2024, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-pet-know-left-from-right/999150/27 "2024-03-22T12:57:49Z")
Working dogs are often trained to know right from left. I once went on a dog sledding safari and found out a bit about mushing. The lead dog(s) are the brainy ones on a sledge follow voice commands of the musher (which include “left” and “right” in the musher’s language), the other dogs are more their fro brawn and they just follow the lead dog. When clients have their own sled the musher takes the first sled and the other just follow the sled in front. Sheep Dogs usually understand “Come by” to circle clockwise (turn right) and “Away” or “Away to me” as to circle anti clockwise (turn left) ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2024, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-pet-know-left-from-right/999150/28 "2024-03-22T13:46:45Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > One of our dachshunds (Luc) would really go to town sniffing trees while we were out walking. But he’d get himself on the opposite side of the tree and try to continue going in that direction…which would make his leash get caught on the tree. > > So, I taught him “around.” I’d just say “around” in a commanding voice, and he’d back up and go around the tree on my side. Very convenient. With Cinnamon that command was “wrong!” He got it pretty quick. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2024, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-pet-know-left-from-right/999150/29 "2024-03-22T17:03:11Z")
Service dogs for the blind need to know left and right. My current dog has not learned them, but I did have a dog who did-- she was really good at learning words, and had a vocabulary of well over 100 words, English & Hebrew. We had a Basset Hound when I was a kid who knew to look both ways before he crossed the street (he was rehomed to us when he was 3, and had already been trained). I don’t know whether he was actually looking for cars, but he would wait if a car was close. So I taught my previous dog to look both ways, and I had to teach her left and right first-- wasn’t easy, even for this really responsive dog. I swear she listened to everything I said, and actively tried to figure out what words meant. She was one of those dogs who figured out “treat,” “food,” “bath,” “vet,” “walk,” and many more with no training whatsoever. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2024, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-pet-know-left-from-right/999150/30 "2024-03-22T17:09:15Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > My latest Command is “Go Find Dixie” when the old girl is slow to come back into the house at the final Pee-pee. When we got Luc and Shanni, Luc attached himself more to my sister than me (he was fine with me and would cuddle, but Pat was his number one human). I used to tell him to “Find Pat,” and he’d sniff her out like a bloodhound. ---
**Author:** ![El\_DeLuxo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_deluxo/32/9043_2.png) [@El\_DeLuxo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_DeLuxo)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2024, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-pet-know-left-from-right/999150/31 "2024-03-22T21:17:02Z")
Not to hijack this interesting thread, but what are talking buttons wrt dogs? Have they finally come up with dog/human-human/dog translator technology? Because if they have, I’ve got some questions to ask some of the dogs I know. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2024, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-pet-know-left-from-right/999150/32 "2024-03-23T00:13:27Z")
[Here ya go!](https://fluent.pet/) There are cat models, too. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2024, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-pet-know-left-from-right/999150/33 "2024-03-23T01:07:28Z")
They are fun _trick_ to play with, with Doggy. Don’t think they are more. I think Bayliss is very smart, empathetic and generally a genius of his species. But the “treat” button is his favorite, for obvious reasons. I ordered some more today. With longer record time. I’m planning funny sayings. Just for the hell of it. Hey. I’m bored. Bayliss thinks it’s fun. So we play. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2024, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-pet-know-left-from-right/999150/34 "2024-03-23T01:22:16Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > He uses talking buttons Would you elaborate on that? What does it mean, “Talking Buttons”? Back to the OP, Mrs Plant (v.2.0) taught dogs the difference to “go right” or “go left” by a loud command, and “look to the left” by gently saying “Left”. Same with right. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2024, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-pet-know-left-from-right/999150/35 "2024-03-23T02:10:00Z")
They are buttons that sit in a grid. They are made for dogs or cats or your pet possum to push with their paws. You record words that are important to yourself or the pet and there’s a teaching method that shows you how to train the dog to use them. With Bayliss it was very easy because he understands what I want him to do and he is very paw-sy. It’s funny because sometimes it seems like he’s thinking in human terms. I highly doubt he really does. I don’t expect him to write poetry but I like it as a way to play games with him. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2024, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-pet-know-left-from-right/999150/36 "2024-03-23T03:23:59Z")
Here’s the person who started it > **[hungerforwords](https://www.youtube.com/@hungerforwords?feature=shared)** > > Learn more about Stella at www.hungerforwords.com/book ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2024, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-pet-know-left-from-right/999150/37 "2024-03-23T04:06:46Z")
> [@El\_DeLuxo](#): > > I’ve got some questions to ask some of the dogs I know. Like sheep, _They are Filthy Liars!_ ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2024, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-pet-know-left-from-right/999150/38 "2024-03-23T04:40:32Z")
Bayliss often pushes “cat” and then “no” What’s he saying? He don’t like the cats? He don’t like me interacting with the cats? Or he thinks the Chihuahuas are cats? It’s hard to tell. I tell him “use your words” that gets “treats” or “poop”. (Poop means outside, I think). He does say “love you”. That makes me happier than it should. Which I react to and he gets lots of attention. Who’s training who, here? (Oh he always uses his left paw, so he’s a lefty. Not sure if he understands that. Our walking routine does not require making unannounced turns and he’s always near my heel) ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2024, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-pet-know-left-from-right/999150/39 "2024-03-23T11:54:09Z")
So, facilitated communication? > **[Facilitated communication](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facilitated_communication)** > > Facilitated communication (FC), or supported typing, is a scientifically discredited technique that claims to allow non-verbal people, such as those with autism, to communicate. The technique involves a facilitator guiding the disabled person's arm or hand in an attempt to help them type on a keyboard or other such device which they are unable to properly use if unfacilitated. > There is widespread agreement within the scientific community and among disability advocacy organizations that FC is a p... ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2024, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-pet-know-left-from-right/999150/40 "2024-03-23T15:10:56Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Like sheep, _They are Filthy Liars!_ [Girl Genius](https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20140319) . [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-pet-know-left-from-right/999150.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-pet-know-left-from-right/999150.md?page=3)