Homeless dogs learn English commands
Battersea Dogs and Cats Home has seen an increase in continental dogs coming through its doors, with no grasp of English commands, it has announced.
The charity says there is an increase in homeless dogs whose previous owners have come from around the world. These dogs include a Polish husky, Chinese poodle, French bichon frise, Spanish mongrel and a Lithuanian shar-pei.
The staff now have their work cut out teaching the dogs simple English commands, such as "sit", "stay" and "down".
“We’re seeing more and more dogs with owners who originate from around the world and often they will have great training but no grasp of English commands," said Ali Taylor, head of canine welfare training.
"Every dog at Battersea receives on-going training to prepare it for a new home, but with our continental canines it’s even more important they learn to understand the basic commands their new owners will be using.”
Niu Niu, a three-year-old St Bernard was brought to Battersea by his Chinese owners as they were moving abroad. When he arrived, Niu Niu didn't understand a word of English, so the staff had to start his training from scratch.
Ali added: "When training dogs like Niu Niu it’s really important to go back to basics by teaching them universal hand signals first then putting the spoken command with it. It can take some time but eventually they get there!"
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is inviting applications from veterinary students to attend a one-week extramural studies (EMS) placement in July 2026.
