While dogs may understand what we are communicating to them, no matter how much we kid ourselves they certainly don't 'know' what the words mean.
What dogs understand is our energetic communication, our tone of voice and the associations they have with certain sounds or words.
Dogs communicate vocally in a number of ways, such as yelping, whimpering, whining, growling, barking and howling.
However, it's fair to say that most owners really have no idea what their dog is saying.
A dog's body language combined with any vocalisation is the key to understanding.
Just like humans, individual dogs have different personalities and temperaments, so there is no generalising here.
Some dogs are not very vocal, others are quite 'talkative'.
We need to learn to read our individual dog's behaviour and understand the context when they are attempting to communicate with us 'verbally' before we can begin to process what it might mean.
Let's start with something we can probably all identify, yelping.
Yelping is an easy one!We all know the yelp accompanying a clumsy step onto our dog's tail or paw; this means they are experiencing pain.
We can also identify the yelp, often from a puppy, when another dog nips them a little too hard.
Even the quietest of dogs will yelp if they are suddenly hurt like this.
What a dog is saying with a yelp is "ouch" and they want a positive response from the other party involved - to stop the action causing the pain.
Whimpering or Whining can also mean that a dog is in some form of distress and it is advisable to understand that this may be the case and investigate accordingly.
For a particularly vocal dog, whimpering may mean that they want something especially if they are also wagging their tail.
It is wise to check whether they need something essential like water, a toilet break or simply to go out 'to play'.
A whimper may escalate into a bark if the request goes unheeded.
What a dog wants here is for you to understand their need and meet it.
It is for you to use your judgement as to whether the request is related to wellbeing or for another kind of attention, in which case it may be useful to wait until your dog is calm and then look to provide it on your terms.
Whimpering can also indicate a high level of excitement, such as when you return after a long absence and it may also be accompanied by jumping, licking and barking - not such desirable behaviours! Growling is most often a warning and, if avoiding action is not taken, aggression may ensue and even escalate to attack!Rather than seeing a growl as bad, it is best to work out what needs to change to make your dog more comfortable, which could be as simple as backing off or taking a break.
Dogs often growl playfully, especially in a game of tug.
However, bear in mind that tug is not always a 'game' to a dog, when winning can prove or reinforce dominance.
Here it is important to ensure your dog's other body language says they are playful and if you are unsure, stop for a little while and wait until your dog is calm before resuming play.
Where two dogs are playing together and growling it is a good idea to enforce a break once in a while if they do not do this themselves.
There are some dogs who also growl or grumble in pleasure while being petted.
Again, it is most important that you know your own dog, their habits and idiosyncrasies.
Barking can be for many reasons, including as an alert to potential danger, through boredom, when they want something, if they are frightened, suspicious, in distress and of course in play.
When a dog is distressed their bark will be more high-pitched and repetitive, getting higher in pitch the more upset they become.
When a dog is bored the bark is more likely to be repetitive but monotone.
If the bark is an alarm there will be higher intensity and sharpness.
A 'demand' bark is likely to be directed at you, asking you to provide what they want.
It is always useful to look and see what the dog is doing, then react accordingly.
Howling or Baying is often triggered by hearing another high-pitched noise - for example, the response to someone singing or the sirens on emergency vehicles.
Baying on the other hand is deep-throated and prolonged, like the sound we have come to associate with dogs on a hunt in pursuit of prey or searching for someone lost.
Here dogs can be calling to keep in touch with other pack members, so it can also be a sign of distress when your dog is isolated or separated from you, for example if they are left alone all day at home.
This can of course be a source of particular annoyance for your neighbours!