Toddler Thinks All Animals Are Dogs

Every animal was a cat to mine because we have cats. It's a phase. They have learned that it's an animal but haven't made the connection that there are more than one type of animal.

When my nephew was going thru that stage my sister and her hubby took him camping, When he said "doggie, doggie" they turned around and saw a bear!

Well, considering my friend's aunt thought all dogs were male and all cats were female (seriously!), I think your little one is still a step ahead.

Our world is populated by cows except for cats. He firmly and correctly identifies every 'kitty kitty'. All other animals get the 'moo, moo, moo' treatment. The next choice is an elephant which involves this bizarre spitting sound. At first you can't figure out how it is an elephant sound but then it hits you. It's the Picasso of elephant sounds I suppose. We know he knows the difference because every now and again out of the blue he'll correctly identify animals (bear, dog, camel, cat, fish, dolphin, etc.). I think he likes the cow and elephant sounds the best, though. :) It makes trips to the zoo fun.

That's like my GD - all meat is chicken! She never has to ask what's for dinner because it's always chicken! Now it could be steak/chicken or pork/chicken but it's all chicken to her! (And she's 10! LOL!)

For awhile, to my 2 year old, every animal was a dog.
I finally convinced him that cows were not dogs.
Now, he calls every animal a cow.

totally normal.. He knows they are animals and since he knows a dog is an animal and not human.. Every animal is a dog..

We had a friend come over with his daughter, a little over a year. They had 2 dogs at their home.

. When she see our big cat, she called out Dawg! (Very southern voice)

And we said, cat!

She shook her head and said DAWG!

So we said cat..

then she stomped her feet and said dawg. and walked away, she was done with us..

Every store was a grocery store when my son was little.

My favorite animal sound one was to do the fish sound - silent opening and closing mouth.

When he was about 2 1/2 he was riding with my mom through a rural area and he said, "the moose in the garden". It took her the better part of an hour to figure out he meant the "cows" were in the "pasture".

One of the few words my daughter had down at a year old, was "dog", except she would say "dog-dog!"...and everything was "dog-dog!" Our actual dogs, the cats, horses, etc. She obviously got it straight eventually! Maybe when he does that, you can just say, "Those are cows! Cows say mooo!" You can also read to him from a book with lots of animal pictures in it and make the sounds that they make.

My almost-two grandson says every animal is a dog - including his own kitty. And it seems to me as if - just as Lucia B. writes - I once thought all dogs were hes and all cats were shes. This, too, shall pass!

Don't worry, as he gets older, he'll figure it all out. The first time my dd saw deer who go through our back yard she called them camels.

She's got it all figured out now.

We go through these learning curce phases as well......all animals were cows and all sounds were moo for about a month or so and now all colors are green :-) it is precious and priceless. I am enjoying eveyr single moment before my little one starts discussing investing options with his Daddy!

What I did was say "Yes that IS a_____" whatever animal it actually was. That way my kid was not being told they were wrong all the time.=)

Aw he sounds cute... don't worry.
How old is he?

Next, is the car/truck noises they will make.

Sure, my kids did that too.

while i would make the 'right' noises back at him, i certainly wouldn't worry!
all i can think of reading this post is the little girl in monsters inc.
KITTY!!!
:) khairete
S.