Do Dogs Recognize Their Names As Their Identities Or Simply Respond To A Familiar Sound – One Old Reddit Post Goes Viral

What do you think?

Damjan

• Published in Animals
• September 3, 2022

Names. They were given to us at birth, and we are stuck with them for the rest of our lives.

And over the years, we get accustomed to them and view them as something that defines us among other people. Now, how does that works in the pet world?

Similar to naming a child, selecting the words you'll be shouting at your furry buddy for years to come usually takes a lot of consideration. In reality, though, most of us just wind up calling them whatever comes to mind over time and eventually find that those nicknames have, in fact, become their identity.

And unlike naming a kid, you can really use your imagination while naming your dog. For example, you might call him Sir Chews-a-Lot, The Great Big Snorter, or even Barker.

But how do dogs understand their names and nicknames? Do they understand them at all?

One Reddit user asked, "Do dogs recognize that their name is their identity, or do they simply know to respond when a certain sound is made?"

Thousands of comments followed, and since there is no conclusive evidence on the subject, they were sharing their experiences. And they are interesting.

So, join us in discovering a bit more about our beloved friends.

One Redditor asked:

Dogs can recognize their names, some studies show

Redditors agree

Cats also recognize their names, but they simply don't care. It has to do with their instincts

Some people have different experiences. Their dogs respond to any name

Cats recognize their names, but instead of running towards you like dogs - they just twitch their tails

Some cats do come to you, but leave as soon as they find out you have nothing interesting to offer

Some dogs respond to any word, as long as it is in a certain tone

Some dogs can make out even different people's names

Oh, poor Bill...

Most cat owners can relate to this:

They want you to come to them

Some dogs respond only to their names and nicknames

There is a subtle difference

One transgender person described it interestingly:

Not all members of the same species are the same. The same goes for dogs.

Even though they share many traits common to the breed, there are some differences in mentality. Every dog has a personality, and they probably view their names accordingly.

The last commenter described it perfectly, as they have a unique point of view:

"To what degree do each of us feel that a name is a representation of us in the world, or "us" in the more specific case, our real identity? Many people are very closely-bonded to their birth name and don't look at it objectively as "just another word"; others among us don't relate as strongly to it and are always conscious that it was a relatively arbitrary choice by our parents.

I'm transgender, so the latter category particularly applies to me. When I hear my birth name, I probably hear it more as a dog would hear it: as a signifier that another animal wants my attention but nothing more."

Just like humans, some dogs understand their names, while others simply view them as something they need to respond to.

Damjan