DoggoLingo: The Complete (& Cute) Guide to Speaking Fluent Dog

What’s your doggolingo level? Are you fluent in dog speak? Learn about this dog love language and then take a fun quiz to test your dog slang skills and find out what your “dog speak” level is.

What is doggolingo?

If you’ve ever introduced your dog as a “doggo,” announced that you’re adopting a little “pupper,” or debated whether to use “floofer” or “fluffer” on a dog Instagram caption, then you’re probably a dog mom or dad who’s already fully immersed in doggo language. In fact, you may not even realize that you’re speaking this internet-inspired dog terminology—it’s just a natural part of your life. (Like the dog hair dust bunnies that populate under my couch. 🙂 )

Doggolingo: a dog language of love-o

Doggolingo is spoken by humans and is made up of cutesy words and phrases made even cuter by adding an “-o” or “-ee” or “er” at the end of the phrase. NPR’s article, Dogs Are Doggos: An Internet Language Built Around Love for Puppers, offers deeper insight into this language trend that’s as cozy, wholesome, and cutesy as the adorable pooches that are the inspiration behind it. Whether it’s a doggolingo meme, dog slang Instagram caption, or a funny dog TikTok, doggolingo is a reflection of our little fluffers soul—full of happiness and fun.

As a self-proclaimed wordie (including lover of cute dog puns and play on words and creator of happy dog quotes), keeper of Happy-Go-Doodle’s dog blog, and doting dog mom to Goldendoodle Chloe, doggolingo sits squarely in my wheelhouse…errr, doghouse. I think doggolingo is just plain fun. It’s one more way that our dogs bring wholesome happiness and joy to our daily lives.

But what do dogs have to say about it? Here’s a doggolingo meme from Chloe…

DoggoLingo 101: How do you speak fluent Doggolingo?

So how do you speak doggolingo? It’s pretty easy to get the hang of it. Here are some quick tips:

1. Gaze deeply into your dog’s eyes. (This step isn’t required. But hey, any chance to share a moment with your dog is a good thing. 😊 )
2. Choose a base word that describes your dog. For example, let’s use the word “fluffy.”
3. Add a suffix like “-o” or “-er” to create “fluffo” or “fluffer.”
4. Combine your new doggolingo term with an a-dog-able pic of your pup to create a cute dog meme or an Instagram post. Who knows? Maybe your term will take off and become part of our everyday language just as “doggo” and “floofer” have.

This is just one way to create your own doggolingo words. Here are two more ways to add more dog speak to your vocabulary…

Advanced DoggoLingo: Two more language tricks

1. Create your own dog slang word. Dog slang takes off when other dog lovers can relate to the term that you coin. In other words, your insight into dogdom gets the head nod of agreement, the chuckle, or the “oh yeah” moment from others. Why? It’s relatable. DogSpotting, the popular Facebook community for dog enthusiasts, “breeds” dog slang. Dog lovers have fun playing off each other’s cute posts and comments. Here is an example of dog slang:
   • toe beans or beans: the cute little toe paw pads on a dog’s feet
2. Create your own word for a sound your dog makes. (Because dogs do make the most adorable sounds.) But how do you describe it? Onomatopoeia, creating a word that describes a sound (think dog bark = woof, cat = meow), is another popular doggolingo trend. Who better than you to coin a term that sounds like your dog’s soft breathing when he sleeps with his furry head next to yours on the pillow at night? Woof, yea!

So how fluent in Doggolingo are you? Without further a-doodle, please take this doggolingo quiz and test your dog-speak language skills.

Now, let’s test your DoggoLingo skills

Do you use doggolingo? Find out if you know these doggie-related words!

1. A “SPLOOT” is…

A. When a dog licks their nose.

B. When a dog lies belly down with back legs out like a frog.

C. When a dog wears cute booties in the rain.

D. When a dog snuggles with the hooman.

2. Identify which word is NOT a doggolingo term:

A. Blep

B. Mlem

C. Sploot

D. Splat

E. None of these terms are doggolingo

F. All of these terms are doggolingo

3. A “BLEP” is…

A. That little burp a dog makes after eating.

B. When a dog goes airborne catching a ball.

C. When a dog’s tongue sticks out just a little bit.

D. That one spot under the chin where a dog lllloovvves being scratched.

4. Finish this popular phrase: “I’d rather…

A. …post photos of my dog.”

B. …be with my dog.”

C. …let my dog do the talking.”

D. …drink from my dog’s water bowl.”

5. “FLOOF” is…

A. When a dog farts and woofs at the same time.

B. A dog with furry or fluffy hair.

C. When a dog tilts the head to the side.

D. The top of a dog’s head.

6. “MLEM” is…

A. When a dog sticks out her tongue or licks her chops.

B. The sound a dog makes when falling asleep.

C. Another word for the waxy build-up in a dog’s ear.

7. To get the “ZOOMIES” is…

A. When a dog runs around in circles.

B. A reference to the way a mom drives when going to pick up her dog.

C. Both A and B.

D. None of the above

8. The dog slang term commonly used to describe a silly looking dog (or cat) is…

A. Tweet or Twitter

B. Peach or peachy

C. Derp or derpy

D. Insta-Worthy

9. Which word below best describes a “BORK”…

A. Tail wag

B. Pant

C. Lick

D. Bark

10. Fill in the blank: “_______ my nose.”

A. Mlem

B. Boop

C. Bump

D. Break

Check your answers:

1. B. When a dog lies belly down with back legs out like a frog. (It’s h*ckin’ cute, too!)
2. D. Splat. (DId you get this one right? Furry good! You’re speaking the doggo language!)
3. C. When a dog’s tongue sticks out just a little bit.
4. B. …be with my dog.
5. B. A dog with furry or fluffy hair. (Got it right? Furry good!)
6. A. When a dog sticks out her tongue or licks her chops.
7. A. When a dog runs around in circles. (Answer “B” Is true but not doggolingo😉)
8. C. Derp or derpy
9. D. Bark
10. B. Boop

Get your doggoling quiz score:

If you scored below 3:

Almost-o! While you’re not fluent in doggolingo, your dog doesn’t care. The love between you and your canine companion speaks for itself!

If you scored from 3 through 7:

Good-o! You’re on your way to speaking fluent doggolingo. Give yourself a treat…and give your dog one too!

If you scored 8 or 9:

Grrrreat-o! You’re speaking the language. Give yourself a high five. Better yet, give your dog a high paw! 

If you score a 10:

Perfect-o! You top the chart when it comes to doggolingo. Give yourself and your dog a pat on the back, a scritch under the chin, and go do zoomies together around the house! WOOf-HOO!

Even more doggolingo from Happy-Go-Doodle®

Did our Doggolingo Language Quiz bring a smile, grin, or maybe even a WOOF? No matter the results, you’ll always score points with your pooch by spending time together.

For more dog language fun, please dog trot on over to our other articles. You’ll find the ulti-mutt list of dog puns and dog wordplay and also an A to Z list of words to describe dogs. Or let the quiz fun continue by taking our My Dog is My Best Friend Quiz.

What dog-related words do you love?

Please comment below.

Doodle-o from Chloe and her hooman sidekick! 😀