Doglang: An Artificial Language for Dog Commands

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jen35

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Hi everyone! I've been working on creating an artificial language specifically designed for our canine friends to understand. After diving down the rabbit hole of phonetics, morphology, psychology, etc. I have finally finished an early version of my doglang and I'm looking for some constructive criticism, advice, resources, etc. to better refine it.

For anyone interested in the semantic specifics I have posted it here.

My language (or Doglang) is specifically designed to maximize a dog’s ability to understand and distinguish between commands and concepts, while being as easy as possible for English speakers to learn and pronounce. Doglang is inspired by studies that address how dogs hear and understand spoken language. The features of Doglang include being limited to voiced consonants (consonants that require the use of the vocal chords, e.g. b as in best is used, but not it’s voiceless counterpart p as in patio) and long vowels (e.g. three, eight, blue, etc.), limiting the number of syllables in each command to no more than two syllables, and ensuring that commands remain different sounding enough so as not to be confused with one another.

Here are some of the basic commands I have so far (I’ve included a pronunciation table too):

SINGLE SYLLABLE COMMANDS (FOR PUPPIES)


Command
Pronunciation
Spelling

focus/watch me
vaʊ
vow

sit
ler
lare

down
gel
gale

off (of person)
dev
dayv

off (of object)
dez
dayz

leave it
daɪz
dize

wait
baɪ
by

TWO SYLLABLE COMMANDS (FOR ADULT DOGS)


Command
Pronunciation
Spelling

focus/watch me
raɪz.vaʊ
rizevow

sit
el.ler
alelare

down
il.gel
eelgale

off (of person)
laɪ.dev
liedayv

off (of object)
laɪ.dez
liedayz

leave it
laɪg.daɪz
liegdize

wait
ger.baɪ
gareby

PRONUNCIATION


Symbol
Example

b
b est

d
d ea d
g
g ot

l
l ean

m
m other

n
n eed

r
r ed

v
v iolin

z
z ebra

aɪ
m i ne

aʊ
c o w

e
ei ght

i
thr ee
o
o ver

u
bl ue

You might notice that some of the commands seem to violate the rule that the commands should be different enough so as not to confuse them (i.e., dayv, dayz, diez). My understanding is that in order for a dog to differentiate between two single-syllable commands there must be a difference of at least two phonemes (border collies seem to be an exception). However, in Doglang each letter in each position of a command is determined by the semantic/cognitive primes to maintain consistency in the concepts trying to be conveyed to the dog. Even though dayv (get off of that person) and dayz (get off of that object) will most likely be indistinguishable to a dog, it is not important for them to understand the precise semantics of the commands as they both convey the correction to “get off” (day). As for diez (leave it), dogs tend to have a stronger affinity for vowels than for consonants and will probably be able to recognize the difference between diez and dayz, but in my opinion this is again unimportant as both commands still convey the correction that the dog needs to “move away from the object” (d*z).

The single syllable commands are intended to be used with puppies who have not yet developed the cognitive ability to understand commands beyond the first syllable. As the dog matures they will be able to understand commands that are two syllables. With the two syllable commands the first syllable serves two purposes:
  1. to get the attention of the dog if their attention is focused elsewhere
  2. to further differentiate the command from others
At this time I have only completed an initial version of Doglang that only addresses the construction of commands. I will be incorporating more nuances into the language such as tone (to convey emotion and urgency), hand gestures, orientation relative to the dog, and physical contact to further take advantage of how dogs understand humans and communicate with each other.

Any feedback that can be provided is greatly appreciated including constructive criticism, recommendations, resources, personal experience, etc.

I’m more than happy to answer any questions about the language that I have not already addressed.
 
@jen35 Interesting idea. I think my main reservation in using something like this would just be ease of use for others. If I have someone pet sit or bring him to a daycare/boarding, I don't think I can expect someone to learn this.

Id also be curious to see if this actually works better (like in a study or a real life example) because right now it seems like most dogs can learn commands in english well enough.

Also curious why the words for the commands seem random. You could use "down" for down since you have all the sounds, but instead it's gale. It might be easier if the words sounded closer to their english counterparts when possible to learn.
 
@imagebeastmarkbeast You have brought up a good point though. I've been so focused on creating a morphological language that is as expressive as possible I didn't consider restructuring English words to create more understandable commands. In that case, "down" would still be "down", but "sit" can be changed to "zeed". I will probably work on that concept as an alternative.
 
@jen35 I still think it's a really creative idea, and it would be really cool to see something like this gain widespread appeal. If these words truly work better at a distance, then I am much more tempted to try it and can see the practically of it.

I would also really be interested in the word for recall/emergency recall if you come up with one :)
 
@imagebeastmarkbeast A recall command would be something along the lines of gaʊ (gow) while emergency recall could be gub.gaʊ (goobgow). gaʊ is made up of the primes "to move (closer) + me" and would translate to "move closer to me", while gub.gaʊ is constructed of "to move (closer) + more + power + to move (closer) + me" which would translate to "move to me with great speed".
 
@imagebeastmarkbeast Doglang is still in development, so if you are tempted to test it I recommend just trying the focus command and comparing the results to an English equivalent. Between the feedback I have received in r/Dogtraining and r/conlangs, the next iteration of Doglang will likely be very different.

When it comes to an emergency recall command, Doglang should be very well suited towards this as Doglang will not appear in everyday conversation (coincidences are entirely possible though). The example I have provided would just be a literal translation, but any random set of phonemes can work.

Personally, I use "aardvark" with my dogs which works very well and follows most of the phonemic rules of Doglang. The only unvoiced consonant is the k, but it's position at the end of the word carries very little significance for a dog to understand it, especially when it is preceded by a rhotic vowel.
 
@imagebeastmarkbeast Your concerns are completely understandable. I am working on Doglang primarily for personal use and would not expect another person to learn the commands for my dogs.

I have already begun reconditioning my 2 year old pit bull terrier for the new commands and he is picking up on them fast. My 15 week old pit bull terrier is also picking up on them very fast. So far I have noticed that these commands are more likely to get their attention when compared to the English equivalent, especially when issued from a distance. This is due to the fact that voiced consonants are more easily distinguished by dogs and are easier to project than their unvoiced counterparts.

One good example is "sit". While a dog will have no problem with distinguishing the command from others, as the command is given over a greater distance it becomes less likely the dog will understand it. The reason being that "sit" consists of two voiceless consonants and a short vowel making them more difficult to project. The Doglang equivalent "lare" on the other hand consists of two voiced consonants that activate the vocal chords for better projection, and a long vowel.

I am currently attempting to get feedback from a professional trainer that has assisted with training my older dog, as well as a veterinarian I used to work for.

The words may seem random at first glance, but they are actually highly structured. Each phoneme is also a morpheme representing a unique cognitive or semantic prime. The command "gale" was constructed from the primes 'to move + not + above', giving it a ruff translation of "move your body closer to the ground".

I have designed it this way not expecting a dog to understand the specific nuances of the language, but to ensure that nearly identical commands are more similar to each other to better convey the related underlying concepts, while commands based on separate concepts are guaranteed to sound different.
 
@jen35 This just seems unnecessary. Have you tried this with a dog? Multiple dogs? What proof do you have behind any of these words working better than others? Also what is the point of this?

Any working breed dog that needs specific commands already have them that are sharp and concise and have worked for 100's of years. What makes your languange more effect than say Schutzhund? That is the ultimate test of communication and obedience.
 
@imagebeastmarkbeast Unnecessary?

100%.

Stimulating exercise that has given me a better understanding of linguistics and how dogs understand language?

Absolutely.

I have zero proof that any words work better than others, although the use of only voiced consonants and long vowels is based on the research of Dr. Root-Gutteridge.

I'll admit I had ulterior motives when I started this project. I became interested in the theoretical concept of using logical languages like Lojban as a programming language. While researching it I dove deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole and eventually decided it would be a fun project to start building a conlang to gain a deeper understanding of the mechanics of language.

I decided on building a language for dog commands simply because I had adopted another stray APBT and had dog training on my mind already.

At no point have I claimed that Doglang commands are superior to real-world commands, and it is not meant to be a replacement. It's simply an academic exercise that I plan on using with my own dogs because I think it is fun.

When it comes to Schutzhund, if you take a look at the commands many of them follow similar phonemic rules as Doglang, which is just a byproduct of the German language. The Schutzhund command "bleib" (stay), for example, consists of two voiced consonants in the onset, a long vowel in the nucleus, and another voiced consonant in the coda. The first and last phonemes are plosives/stops, which dogs tend to be able to better differentiate from other consonants. This makes the command easier to project and better at getting the dogs attention than using a command like "pip".
 
@jen35 thank you, this is really interesting. i sometimes have trouble coming up with good cues for new behaviors. maybe in the future i will implement some of your cues or at least follow the rules you have identified for more understandable cues for dogs. i saw that you read the book about Stella and found it informative, i assume that you already know about Bunny and her buttons? www.instagram.com/whataboutbunny
 
@mikec57 I have read about Bunny briefly and I do like how the CAT buttons are grouped, but I believe many of the individual buttons can be reduced to primitives that can be combined for building more complex ideas. I currently believe that once a well defined set of primitives have become familiar to a dog they will be able to redirect their focus to gaining a deeper understanding of grammatical structure to continue enhancing their linguistic abilities.

I have proposed this hypothesis to The Canine Language Perception Lab and am hoping their expertise can provide some valuable feedback.

Due to all the wonderful feedback I have received from multiple subreddits my Doglang project has expanded to creating a language not just for issuing the most distinguishable commands, but will now be focused on evolving into an auxiliary language optimized to give dogs the most powerful toolset possible to express themselves in a manner that is best suited for their cognitive limitations.
 
@jen35 Some thoughts:
  • few people will want to memorise long lists of arbitrary words for cues, when coopting existing words in daily language will come more naturally to most, especially if they will be interacting with their dogs in a more casual verbal sense
  • on a similar note, your idea isn't very compatible with the current interest in AAC buttons that allow non-family members to equally communicate with dogs as the owners do https://www.hungerforwords.com/our-story/
  • uptake of your proposed cue combination structure may be limited by existing expectations. For example, obedience competition rules in my area include the following, where some of your more extensive combination options may well be interpreted as a disqualifying multi-word structure:
All verbal commands must be in the English Language unless approved otherwise by the Judge.

One command only is given to the dog for a specific action on the part of the dog. The verbal command
must be a single word.
Click to expand...
  • a tiered system might be worth considering. e.g. an ultra-simplified chart for regular dog owners to evaluate which of their existing English word choices are hardest for dogs to pick up and how to select words with more sound clarity, and then expect the full language concept to only be of deep interest to the very few intense nerds out there globally
 
@gdssldier These are all very valid concerns and I will address each of them in an attempt to better explain my intentions and thoughts:
  • My development of Doglang is intended entirely for personal use, but it is clearly far from being complete. I have two APBT, the older on has already undergone formal Beginner training and is currently working through Intermediate training. The younger one is just starting her training. In my experience APBT tend to be extremely excitable and energetic which can cause difficulty in redirecting their attention effectively enough to obey. My older APBT understands commands extremely well, but it is often times difficult to get his attention when he is excited. I noticed awhile back that he is more likely to redirect his attention towards me when I refer to him by "Buddy" instead of his actual name (the first two syllables of which are made up entirely of short vowels and unvoiced consonants). I completely agree with you that Doglang does not make sense to use during casual interactions, but I also believe it is not necessary. Dogs understand tone, body language, and facial expressions much more effectively than verbal cues alone. Doglang right now does not incorporate these at the moment (the final version will). The first stage of development is instead focused and maximizing the likelihood of refocusing a dogs attention and and simultaneously issuing an understandable command with only a verbal cue by removing the components of natural language that dogs tend to have the most difficulty with.
  • I do not believe Doglang will interfere with the ability for a dog to communicate with AAC CAT buttons. Dogs do have more advanced language processing abilities than most of the animal kingdom, but it is still very limited. Dogs lack the cognitive abilities to properly correlate grammar with a string of ideas. I should mention that some breeds seem to be an exception to this, such as border collies and poodles, suggesting there is a genetic component introduced through generations of careful breeding. I believe that proper conditioning with AAC CAT buttons has created the illusion of advanced communication skills. My theory is that AAC CAT buttons require the use of spatial memory and fine motor skills that eventually becomes a cognitively autonomous action of pushing a specific sequence of buttons with the expectation of a specific result. This would be similar to typing. After enough deliberate practice most people reach a point where they can type without consciously thinking about where and in what order they need to move their fingers to have an expected word appear on a screen. The auditory cue generated by pushing a button most likely only provides confirmation feedback and but is not necessary. I have no objective evidence of this, it's just a theory based on my personal, and limited, understanding of psychology. As far as non-family members being able to issue commands, Doglang will introduce some limitations in this respect, but more casual interaction will still be possible through tone, body language, and physical contact that does not require an understanding of Doglang.
  • As I have stated, I do not expect Doglang to be used outside of my own household. While I do plan on training my dogs in the proper skillsets, I do not intend to ever have them compete. That is a valid point though, so thank you for bringing it to my attention.
  • @serupepeli has made me aware of this as well, and I will be exploring it as an alternative. In this case the command for down would still be "down", but the command sit can be changed to "zeed" or "zide" by replacing /s/ and /t/ with their voiced counterparts /z/ and /d/, and elongating the vowel.
Thank you for the feedback. Addressing these types of concerns is forcing me to think of the practical use of Doglang from angles I have not considered and is giving me a lot to consider for further refining it.
 
@jen35 Just want to point out one thing here:

I believe that proper conditioning with AAC buttons has created the illusion of advanced communication skills.
Click to expand...

I think you misunderstand how the AAC buttons are rightly taught/used - they are not conditioned at all in the same way as operant behaviours that we commonly know are. IMO Hunger’s book “How Stella Learned to Talk” would be a useful read in this regard.
 
@gdssldier I just finished the book and it has forced me to change my perception of a dog's ability to understand spoken language. The results that have been achieved with Stella are astounding. I thought she may just be an outlier, but seems numerous other dogs have achieved similar results. This has lead me to believe that grammar plays a larger role in a dogs ability to understand language than I initially thought. Thank you so much for recommending this book to me. I will be incorporating this knowledge into the next iteration of Doglang.
 
@jen35 Beauty! I’m so pleased that it was more than a passing interest. If you haven’t navigated to it already, there are cognition research projects in progress on the buttons, and future papers from the team should give more concrete data.

Make sure you come back to give us an update when DogLang 2.0 is done! Oh, and I forgot to mention - you can crosspost this thread to r/caninebehavior, might give you more feedback now from a slightly different audience.
 
@gdssldier Thank you for the recommendations. I'll definitely be taking a look at them.

I posted over at r/SLP and was advised to reach to The Canine Language Perception Lab at the University of Maryland. Hopefully I'll be able to aggregate all of this into a more effective and complete framework.

I've also reached out to the fine folks over at r/Linguistics hoping to get some direction on effectively identifying primitives that will be more appropriate for Doglang.
 
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