Woof, woof!

Do you speak dog? 12 words for communicating with your pet

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All creatures have a language of their own, and dogs are certainly no exception. But, over all the years humans and dogs have kept each other company, an undeniable communication has been established between the two. If you are a dog owner or are about to become one, take a look at the following 12 short and easy commands that almost any dog will pick up in no time!

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Probably the most the most important command any dog must learn, "stay" will come in handy daily.

To teach it, have your dog start by sitting. Then slowly back away. If your pet moves toward you, say "no" (more on this one later) and have them sit. When they stop, say "stay."

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An equally important word for children and dogs alike, "no" will keep your pet out of trouble. Use this command in any instance where you can see your dog doing something wrong.

To teach this, have your dog on a leash and place a treat on the floor. Walk your dog towards the treat and once they sniff it, say "no", while slightly pulling the leash towards you.

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Another classic dog word, "sit" can be used daily to keep your pet at bay when especially good behavior is needed.

Teach your dog to "sit" by holding a treat in your fist and putting it above your dog’s head. Slowly move it behind their head and when they crouch, say "sit" and reward them with the treat.

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This command is particularly useful if your dog gets a little too excited. Hold a treat in front of your pet and wait for them to smell it. Once they do, bring the treat down to the floor, and your dog will eventually follow. When their belly is on the floor, say "down" and give them the treat.

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Quite similar to the aforementioned "stay" but particularly useful for those times when guests arrive at your door and your pet gets too excited and jumps over the newcomers.

To teach "wait" to your dog, have somebody stand outside your door and call. When you open the door and see that your pet starts moving towards it, say "wait", while the person outside closes the door.

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If you are not one to allow your pet on the sofa or worse, the bed, "off" can be a useful command. While in an area with furniture, hold a treat in a fist and put it in front of your dog’s nose. They will try to get it, but keep your fist closed. When your pet eventually backs down, say "off" and give them the treat.

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Every dog owner has been in a situation where her or his pet has picked up something against the owner’s wishes. The command "drop it" helps prevent your dog from hurting themselves and your valuables.

To teach it, you’ll need two identical dog toys. Give your dog one and let them play with it. Then, call them over and hold up the new toy. Say "drop it" and give them the new toy once they drop the other.

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More often than not, kids and dogs need to be told when to go to bed. To teach your dog this simple command, put them on a leash and lead them to wherever their bed is. Once you get your dog in his or her bed, say the word "bed".

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Leashes are usually associated with going for a walk, therefore, this command will be quickly understood by your pet. Teach your dog how to get over the leash if he or she is tangled in it by wrapping it around the front paw, then slowly make the loop larger and pull it towards you. Your dog will lift their paw and when the leash comes off, give them a leash and say "leash".

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A command like "quiet" can be useful if your pet is barking excessively and being obtrusive.

You can teach "quiet" when your pet is barking by saying the word very loudly, over your dog’s bark. When your dog stops barking, give her or him a treat.

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Most dogs love getting into a car but just in case yours isn’t one of those, take her or him outside with a leash and have the trunk or door of your car easily accessible. Then, place a treat inside the desired sitting area and say "car." Your pet should jump right in and, after a few tries, understand when it’s time to go for a ride.

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Pups break stuff by treating it too roughly or biting too hard. If you see this kind of behavior, just say the word "gentle" firmly, while showing your pet your open palm towards her or him. Once they stop, caress your pet lightly, so as to imitate the soft approach you expect them to have towards the element that is being destroyed.

Are we all wrong?

Stop saying "my bad," if you ever have

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If you hear a grammatically incorrect sentence once, you might wince. But if you hear it again and again, you might pick it up and start using it yourself. Have you ever adopted expressions like "my bad" or "doggy dog world"? Let’s at least analyze what is grammatically off in them, and see what versions we could use instead.

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The original version: "Spirit and image" or "spit and image" (meaning "exact likeness")

"Spitting image" is grammatically correct as an expression, but it’s a rather odd one. It likely began as "spirit and image," referring to someone who carries both the essence and appearance of another.

Over time, it evolved into "spit and image," and eventually, speakers slurred it into "spitting image," to the point where we all understand a senseless expression.

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The correct version: "My mistake," or any version that replaces "bad" with a noun.

It might sound casual or charismatic, but it’s grammatically odd. Technically, the phrase lacks a noun—"bad" is an adjective. A bad what? Decision? Move?

The phrase allegedly originated as slang in street basketball during the 1980s, where it was a quick way to own up to a mistake without interrupting the game, much like saying "my oops."

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The original version: For all intents and purposes

This is a classic example of an eggcorn—a misheard phrase that still seems logical. "Intensive" means extreme or focused, so "for all intensive purposes" isn’t entirely nonsensical. But it’s not the original expression.

The phrase "for all intents and purposes" dates back to 16th-century English law and originally meant "in every practical sense."

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The correct version: Nip it in the bud!

The original phrase refers to stopping something early, before it blossoms, like cutting a flower bud. Somewhere along the line, "bud" became "butt," which admittedly sounds funnier but changes the meaning entirely.

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The correct version: One and the same

This phrase means that two things are identical. Some people might associate the incorrect version with phrases like "two peas in the same pod" or "two people in the same club."

The mix-up likely comes from how quickly we speak—"one’n the same" rolls off the tongue and blends the words together.

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The correct version: Case in point

The correct expression refers to a particular instance that illustrates your broader point. It originated in legal and rhetorical contexts, where a "case" (meaning a legal case or illustrative example) is "in point"—that is, directly relevant to the issue at hand.

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The correct version: Should have, would have, could have

The confusion arises from how contractions like "should’ve," "would’ve," and "could’ve" sound when spoken. The word "of" is a preposition—it doesn’t function as a helping verb and doesn’t belong anywhere near modal verbs like "should," "would," or "could."

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The original version: Home in on

While "hone in on" is now widely accepted in informal usage, the original phrase is "home in on," which means to zero in on a target, like a missile homing in. "Hone," on the other hand, means to sharpen something, such as a blade or a skill.

The two phrases are often confused because of their similar sounds, but they originally had different meanings.

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The correct version: Vice versa (Latin for "the other way around")

Since this expression is often picked up through speech rather than reading, many people mispronounce or misspell it. Despite how it sounds, it has nothing to do with the word "vice." It’s frequently mangled in casual conversation, but it’s correctly pronounced "vice ver-sa."

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The correct version: Scapegoat (someone who takes the blame).

Okay, this one is easy to mishear. The term "scapegoat" was coined in the 16th century to describe a goat ritually burdened with the sins of the people and then sent into the wilderness. But to a child (or a distracted adult), "scapegoat" can sound like "escape goat," which amusingly suggests fleeing a crime scene.

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The original version: Deep-seated belief

This one isn’t technically wrong—you can see the logic behind comparing firmly held beliefs to deeply planted seeds that have grown over time.

However, the correct phrase is "deep-seated," as in something that’s been sitting deep inside you for a long time, something fixed or settled.

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The correct version: Moot point

Originally, a "moot point" referred to a debatable topic in British law schools—something open to argument or discussion. But somewhere along the line, we collectively decided it meant the opposite: something no longer worth arguing at all.

Hence, the mix-up with "mute point", which probably comes from people associating "mute" with "silent" or "not worth discussing," which fits the mistaken interpretation.

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The correct version: Dog-eat-dog world

"Doggy dog" might be a family-friendly mishearing of the original phrase, which refers to cutthroat competition.

The original expression paints a grim picture: a world so fiercely competitive that even man’s best friend turns on its own. But when misheard as "doggy dog," it sounds oddly wholesome—almost the opposite: a world full of friendly dogs.

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The mistake: Saying "the exact same thing" is widely used, but it is technically redundant.

Both "exact" and "same" convey the same idea; one should suffice. However, the expression has become idiomatic, accepted for its emphasis on repetition. Similar to phrases like "one and the same," it adds a poetic or emphatic tone to the comparison.