Dogs are beloved companions for many people around the world, and Spanish-speaking countries are no exception. In fact, dogs hold a significant cultural significance in these countries, often serving as loyal protectors and working animals.
If you’re a dog lover planning to travel to a Spanish-speaking country or simply looking to expand your vocabulary, learning about dogs in Spanish can be both fun and useful.
In this article, we’ll explore basic vocabulary for dogs in Spanish, including commands and phrases you might need if you have a furry companion traveling with you.
Basic Vocabulary for Dogs in Spanish
If you’re planning on adopting a furry friend, it’s important to learn basic vocabulary for dogs in Spanish. Knowing the right words will not only help you communicate with your new pet but also make it easier to understand local customs and traditions related to dogs in Spanish-speaking countries.
Some common dog breeds in Spanish speaking countries include ‘Chihuahua’, ‘Boxer’, and ‘Labrador’. Additionally, learning training commands in Spanish for dogs like ‘siéntate’ (sit), ‘ven’ (come), and ‘quieto’ (stay) can be beneficial when teaching your dog basic obedience skills.
By mastering these words, you’ll be able to build a stronger bond with your canine companion while immersing yourself in the language and culture of Spanish-speaking communities.
Perro – Perrito
Everyone says “perro” in Spanish, after all, this is the translation for “dog”.
Now, if you’re a dog lover, then you need to say “perrito”, which is the diminutive for “perro” (in English, it would be something like “doggy”).
But don’t let yourself be fooled by the use of diminutives in Spanish. It’s just a way to express affection for these hairy friends.
Here are some example phrases that include these words:
- El perro del vecino hizo popó en mi jardín: My neighbor ‘s dog pooped in my garden.
- Mi perrito es el más tierno de todos los perros: My doggy is the sweetest dog of all.
Also, have in mind that you can hear a little variation on these words depending on the genre of the dog:
- Perra: Female dog.
- Perrita: Female doggy.
Cachorro – Cachorrito
If instead of saying “cachorro”, you say “cachorrito”, you’ll sound like you really love puppies.
In other words, “cachorro” or “cachorrito” refers to the youngest age in a dog’s life.
Here are some examples to say dog in Spanish using “cachorro”:
- Mi cachorro está enfermo y tengo que llevarlo al veterinario: My puppy is sick and I have to take it to the veterinarian.
- Voy a regalarle a mi hija un cachorrito: I’ll give my daughter a puppy.
For female puppies people say:
- Cachorra.
- Cachorrita.
Can
The word “can”, which plural is “canes”, refers to any kind of dog in a very formal way.
Here are a couple of examples to say dog in Spanish using the word “can”:
- El pastor alemán puede ser un excelente can. La policía lo ha seleccionado para usarlo en su organización: The german shepherd may be an excellent dog. The police have selected it to use it in its organization.
- Este libro le enseña a entrenar a su can, para que sea un buen guardián para su hogar: This book teaches you to train your dog, so it’s a good guardian for your house.
Chico – Chica
Yes, you probably translated this word in your head, it means boy or girl.
It’s basically the same thing we do in English when we call our dogs “boy” or “girl”.
You’re just showing affection to your pet, and it’s some kind of way to establish a relationship with an animal, for example:
- Buena chica Lulú, toma una galleta: Good girl Lulú, take a cookie.
- ¡Vamos, chico! ¡corre!: Come on boy! Run!.
Another very similar way to chico o chica is:
Niño – Niña
Both of these words can be translated as “kid”, but depending on the genre, it means “boy” or “girl”.
Just a “chico” or “chica”, what we’re doing with these expressions is kind of giving an identity to the dog in Spanish.
This is how people use this words to say dog in Spanish:
- Hola niño, ¿estás perdido?: Hi kid (dog), are you lost?
- ¿Cómo estás perrito? Estás muy bonito, ¿cierto, niño?: How’re you doing doggy? You’re really cute, right kid (dog)?
Mi bebé
Right, right… I know that some of you may be thinking that since “mi bebé” means “my baby”, we’re taking this “dog lover” thing a little too far.
But, what are we going to do?
This is how people refer to their pets these days, and you need to understand when they talk spontaneously, right?
This is something you may hear from native speakers talking to their dogs:
- Hola mi bebé. ¿Te quedaste solita todo el día?: Hi baby. Did you stay alone the whole day?
- Voy a darle comida a mi bebé: I’m going to give food to my baby.
El guau guau
“Guau guau” is supposed to be the noise a dog makes when it barks.
You know, like when an adult asks a child:
How does a dog bark?
And then the child says “Guau, guau”.
Well… This is the answer a Spanish kid would give, I’m not sure how a dog barks for an English native speaker.
So, since this is the noise dogs are known for (in the Spanish speaking world), many parents tell their kids that a dog isn’t a dog, it’s “el guau guau”, like this:
- Mira, nena, es un guau guau, ¿te gusta el guau guau?: Look baby, it’s a dog, do you like dogs?
- Hijo, abraza el guau guau. Es bonito, ¿cierto?: Son, hug the dog. It’s cuite, right?
Chiquito – chiquita
This word means small, or if you’re saying this to a dog, it means “little one”.
It’s just a sweet and lovely way to express affection to your dog.
Native speakers even use this expression with their children as well, but this is no surprise, many dog lovers feel their pets as if they were their children.
Are you one of those?
If so, then you may tell your dog:
- Ven chiquito, ven aquí y toma una galleta: Come dog, come here, and get a cookie.
- Hola chiquito, dejame acariciarte: Hey dog, let me pet you.
Bonito – Bonita
How beautiful is your dog?
If you’re like me, then you probably agree that most ugly dogs are so ugly that they’re sweet and cute.
In other words, there are no ugly dogs, all of them are “bonitos”, and that’s why “bonito” may become a nickname for a loyal four legs friend, like this:
- A ver, dame la patita. ¡Eso! Muchas gracias bonito, toma una galleta: Let ‘s see, give me your hand. That’s it! Thank you so much dog, take a cookie.
- Ya, ya ¿Por qué está bravo, bonito? ¿Ah? ¿Por qué?: There, there, why are you mad, dog? Huh? Why?
Siéntate – Sit
Siéntate is one of the most common basic dog commands in Spanish that you want to teach your puppy. If you want to take your perro to different places with you, you should be able to make them sit and stay calm while you do your errands.
Although ‘siéntate’ is very common, Spanish speakers also use the variation ‘¡sentado!’. Both commands mean ‘sit’ and are very suitable for this context. So, choosing one or the other depends on your personal preference.
Zeus, ¡siéntate!
Zeus, sit!
¡Sentados! ¡Qué buenos perros!
Sit! Good dogs!
Take Note: Siéntate is also a popular command that we use with other people to ask them to take a seat. You can soften this order if you use words such as ‘por favor’ or simply talking with a nice tone of voice. Don’t forget to conjugate this verb depending on who you’re talking to.
Echado – Lie down
When it comes to dog training, echado is the direct translation of ‘lie down’. As a result, you may want to know this command for those occasions when you need your dog to be calm or just rest. ¡Échate! and ¡tumbado! are variations that you can also use.
Daisy, ¡échate!
Daisy, lie down!
Lola, Max, ¡échense!
Lola, Max, lie down!
Quieto – Stay
Quieto is a dog command in Spanish that is perfect for energetic dogs. In this context, ‘quieto’ is the direct translation of ‘stay’. As a result, this super handy expression is used to teach dogs to wait for you or to stay calm when they see something exciting.
Manny, ¡quieto! ¡Quieto!
Manny, stay! Stay!
Quietos, chuchos.
Stay, doggies.
Ven – Come here
In Spanish, ven and ven aquí are the direct translation of ‘come here’. Since this order can be used to keep your dog away from hazards or other people, ven may even be one of the first dog commands in Spanish that you teach your puppy.
Of course, you can also use ‘ven’ to attract a cute dog’s attention ;)!
Perrito, ven aquí.
Doggy, come here.
Lola, ven. ¡Buena chica!
Lola, come here. Good girl!
Trae – Fetch
When it comes to dog commands in Spanish, trae means ‘fetch’. In this case, depending on what you want him to fetch, you can modify this command by adding direct object pronouns. So, we can use ‘tráelo’ for masculine objects and ‘tráela’ for feminine things.
Buddy, trae la pelota.
Buddy, fetch the ball.
Ringo, toma, ¡tráelo, chico!
Ringo, here, fetch it, boy!
Suéltalo – Drop it
Suéltalo can be translated either as ‘leave it’ or ‘drop it’ and you could also use the following variations:
- ¡Suelta!
- Suéltala
In here, it’s important to notice that we’re using direct object pronouns. In human words, this means that you’ll use suéltalo when you want your dog to drop a masculine noun and suéltala when you’re referring to a feminine noun.
Stella, suelta la almohada.
Stella, drop the pillow.
Brownie, ¡suéltalo! ¡Suéltalo!
Brownie, leave it! Leave it!
Junto – Heel
In Spanish, junto is the command that you want to use to let your puppy know that you want him to walk next to you. In this context, ‘junto’ means ‘heel’ and since you may not want your dog to drag you, this is a Spanish basic command for puppies.
Pepper, ¡junto! ¡Muy bien!
Pepper, heel! Very good!
Gordo, ¡no! ¡Junto!
Gordo, no! Heel!
Abajo – Down
If your puppy starts climbing on your furniture, you can use the command abajo. Although this is just an example, this word can also be really helpful to keep your dog in place! When it comes to dog commands in Spanish, ‘abajo’ means ‘down’.
Abajo, Benito, ¡muy bien!
Down, Benito, very well!
¡No! ¡Abajo, Chocolata!
No! Down, Chocolata!
Cállate – Quiet
Although it may not be part of formal puppy obedience or dog training, ¡cállate! is a popular Spanish dog command that we use when we want our dog to stop barking. Don’t forget that if you want to use this command with more than one dog, you’ll need to use the plural conjugation cállense.
Benito, ¡cállate! Estás asustando a los niños.
Benito, quiet! You’re scaring the kids.
Poppy, Milo, ¡cállense! No es nadie.
Poppy, Milo, shut up. It’s nobody.
Plus: How to Praise Your Dog in Spanish
If you’re teaching your puppy some basic commands, you also need some expressions to let your perrito know that he’s doing a good job. Here are some common phrases that you can use to praise your dog in Spanish:
- ¡Muy bien! – Very well
- ¡Sí! – Yes!
- Buen perro / Buen perrito / – Good dog / Good doggy
- Buen chico / Buena chica / – Good boy / Good girl
- ¡Eso! – Attaboy / Attagirl
Cultural Significance of Dogs in Spanish-Speaking Countries
You can’t help but notice the overwhelming love and admiration that people have for their furry companions in Spanish-speaking countries – it’s like they’re treated as royalty!
Dogs have been an integral part of Hispanic culture since ancient times, with a rich history and mythology surrounding these loyal creatures.
In fact, dogs were often believed to be sacred animals that could guide souls to the afterlife, leading many to believe that they had mystical powers. This belief has continued throughout history and into modern day society.
Famous dogs in Spanish literature and media have only served to strengthen this love affair with our four-legged friends.
Spanish Dog Names
When choosing a name for their furry friend, dog owners often look for something that’s not only fitting but also reflective of their pet’s personality.
For male dogs, some top choices are ‘Max’ (shortened from Maximiliano or Maximino), ‘Rocky’, and ‘Bruno.’
It can also be interesting to compare the different breeds that are popular in various regions. For example, while Chihuahuas may be more commonly owned in Mexico than elsewhere, Argentina has a strong tradition of hunting with Scottish Terriers.
Frequently Asked Questions
See Also:
- How Our Rescue Dogs Make It From Mexico To The USA
- Adopting a Dog From Mexico: Top 5 Advantages and Disadvantages
- Why Do Americans and Canadians Adopt Mexican Dogs?
