My Heeler could spell! He would eavesdrop on my phone calls to figure out if we were going somewhere. If anyone told him, "Ask Dad" or "Where's Dad?", he knew who they were referring to, and I didn't have kids, he had no reason to make that connection. He absolutely understood an impressive amount of language.
Yes, I talk to my pets.🤓
I knew someone with a chihuahua that responded very well to singing. He'd been mistreated and ignored, but having someone hang out and sing silly little made up tunes, about him, to him, had a fantastic effect on him. It was stupid cute. 😂