Friday 13 September 2024

Gilbert’s language development

 

Gilbert’s language development


We’re quite concerned about Gilbert’s language development. He understands all food related words and sounds. If he hears an apple or a peach being cut up, he is immediately in attendance. He’s equally alert to any talk of going out.

He just can’t get the idea of names being attached to people and toys. It’s our fault, of course. We talk to him endlessly, but obviously not about the right things, and he listens carefully, his beautiful eyes trained on us. He also indicates, very clearly, the things he wants, like his honking duck, which needs repair once again, and the roast chicken pan and the gravy saucepan, the yoghourt pot and the almost empty butter dish – he and Roxy share those, turn and turn about (and they go in the dishwasher for a thorough sterilising clean when finished) It’s just our names and the names of his toys he can’t quite grasp.

Maybe he has too many toys – typical spoilt youngest! ‘Find your toy’ promotes a happy galloping off to find a toy, but the names elude him. He’s just about learnt Quintopus. Our son’s dog, a toy poodle, is very smart – knows all her toys’ names, brings his and his wife’s slippers to them, as well as a myriad other accomplishments.

 I know we shouldn’t compare – it’s disastrous, as bad as it is for children.

Maybe you remember, ‘What reading level is your child on?‘ ‘Which maths book is he working on?’ ‘What part has she got in the school play?’ No matter what your school may tell you, all children know exactly where they are in the class, who’s the best reader, who’s top of the class in maths, who’s naughtiest, who’s teacher’s pet.

Returning to Gilbert, the subject of this post . . . people! Today I asked him to go and find Barry and he immediately went into the kitchen and picked up his grunting pig, which I thought was hilarious. After some while, Barry eventually saw the funny side. To be fair, Barry has had his mind on other things, principally the colonography and the medical photograph of the lesion at the side of his nose and the chest x-ray and the microcytic anaemia and yet another blood test, but even so – come on! Actually, he’s much more relaxed about the whole series of examinations than I am, and worse things happen at sea, and all that.

Anyway, we are revising our opinions of Gilbert’s intelligence, but don’t tell him. We wouldn’t want to hurt his feelings.

And we bought a nail-filing tray for Roxy and so far all they‘ve managed to do is file their teeth and tongues.


                        Roxy: What do I do with this? Give us a clue!

                                            Gilbert: Try this!

                                    Roxy: Let's try it this way . . .

There are pictures and reports of dogs cracking the problem in seconds. Not our dogs.

Maybe it’s working Labradors. My daughter’s younger Labrador was incredibly pleased to be given a Yakker, a chew made with Yak milk, and carried it around for an hour, not knowing quite what to do with it, but wagging her tail the whole time, to show she appreciated the gift.

41 comments:

  1. If you are concerned about Gilbert's development. let me tell you about Lacey, our cat. Actually, there's nothing much to tell. Not about her IQ anyhow.

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    1. Aww! She's doing what cats do best - inscrutability. 😺😸😼🙀😾

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  2. Gilbert knows the important words. Food, walks. He's a good boy

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    1. We should recognise our place in the order of things - at the bottom! 😺😾😼

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  3. What a beautiful boy Gilbert is. We laugh all the time about our golden girls ( lack of ) intelligence, but she more than makes up for it in good looks 😂.
    Alison in Wales x

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  4. Perhaps Barry and the pig have something in common? Does Barry grunt when he gets up from a chair?

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  5. Different kinds of intelligence Gilbert. Don't listen to Janice (that's the female human that cuts up peaches).

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  6. With eyes like that you can forgive him anything.
    I hope Barry's tests have good results.

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  7. Gilbert has his own skills, just not human language skills. Your post was a bit of laugh on a Friday evening, except for Barry's medical issues. I too have a lesion, internally and I've had an MRI scan and I haven't been called immediately to hospital, so I am hopeful.

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  8. That's good news. Long may it last.

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  9. Gilbert sounds sweet as can be even if he doesn't understand everything you are saying. Precious knows if you words and they mostly have to do with food of course and 1 toy. It does sound like your husband's going through a lot of issues and I hope everything comes out fine. Maybe they'll be a few new words to learn about all of that for Gilbert.

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  10. Gilbert is gorgeous - we're very lucky.

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  11. Poor dog, he's doing his best, perhaps you're not teaching him properly! LOL

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  12. My parents' lab loved licorice. Once a grandchild toddled by with a licorice whip in his hand. It was too much to be borne. The dog snatched the whip, and quick as a wink, ducked his head under a jacket hanging from the back of a kitchen chair to eat it so that no one would know he'd done it.

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    1. That's hilarious! Our first Labrador swiped things from shopping baskets as she passed them - so quick!

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  13. Bess mostly understands food related words and sounds as well. But perhaps she's just playing dumb? The episode with Barry and the pig made me laugh out loud. Shame he couldn't really see the funny sight :-) xxx

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  14. Gilbert's focus on food and outings shows his keen observational skills, though he seems to be struggling with names. It’s great to see his enthusiasm and clear communication for what he wants. Perhaps simplifying his environment or focusing more on naming objects and people might help.

    I just published a new blog post. Check it out here: [(https://www.melodyjacob.com/2024/09/9-ways-to-get-rid-of-dry-skin.html). Would love to hear your thoughts! Feel free to share it if you find it useful.

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    1. I think simplifying our environment would help all of us.

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  15. Gilbert has such an earnest and helpful-looking face.

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  16. I smiled all the way through this.I think Gilbert is playing a little joke. Maybe he is a smart dog after all says I with a chuckle. Your pups are adorable! I did not smile at Barry’s health issues and wish him only the very best. Wishing you all a very happy weekend.

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    1. I tend to agree, Denise. I think he's having us on.
      Thank you for your kind thoughts.

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  17. Aww I do enjoy reading about your dogs.

    Sorry that Barry is going through a lot of health issues at the moment, I do wish him well.

    All the best Jan

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    1. Our dogs entertain us greatly.
      Thank you for your well wishes.

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  18. Gilbert & Roxy are just adorable - look at those faces - my heart just melts. Sorry but I did laugh about the pig toy/Barry thingy. 😉 I do hope all those tests come back with good results - our health issues are so worrying as we get that bit older.

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  19. Gilbert is quite a comedian. Roxy is older and so a little calmer.
    When I see what other people go through, I realise how very lucky we are and have been.

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  20. If my son says to Toby Dog, "Granny's coming," he immediately gets very excited and runs to the front door (because I often take him out) but if I'm in the room and he's told to go find Granny he looks around vaguely. Meanwhile I think Gilbert is smarter than you think.

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  21. Toby Dog is wondering why the humans are being silly, no doubt. 🐶

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  22. Awww... Roxy and Gilbert are both so cute. I've never owned a dog. I used to just dog-sit for friends. My husband LOVES dogs, but he doesn't want to own one now because we travel so much and my mom is just not comfortable with animals.

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  23. Dogs are a tie, it's true, but we've always had them and would miss having them around.

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  24. Hi Janice - great post ... Gilbert and Barry ... Gilbert will bring him down to earth ... but good to know he (Barry!) isn't worrying too much about the examinations ... not much we can do ... live does what it does ... take care and with thoughts and a laugh or two from your post ... cheers Hilary

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    1. Fortunately, he's not a pompous man - I couldn't live with one of those!

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  25. Gilbert is a star. Such a great sense of humour when it comes to his humans.
    I do hope things go well for Barry.

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  26. Some dogs are more light-hearted than others, even among the Labrador community. We love them all, though.

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