A Trusted Friend in a Complicated World

16 Funny Pet Slang Words You Never Realized Existed

Updated Jul. 12, 2023

Humans already talk to their pets in baby voices, so why not throw in a few of these ridiculously hilarious words as well?

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Beagle dog and brown cat lying together on the footpath outdoor in the park.
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The world of pet slang

Everyone knows what it means when people say “wag” or “bark” or “rollover” but now that the trend of having Instagram accounts for your pet and Facebook fan pages for different breeds is gaining popularity, a few slang words have been added to the pet owner vocabulary that you might not be familiar with. Your dog may not be able to respond to these funny pet slang words, but this is what their tail is trying to tell you.

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Sleeping cat top view,Cat tail.
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Sploot

A sploot is an adorable looking stretch that dogs can do. It’s typically associated with corgis, but most types of cats and dogs can also do it. A sploot is when a pet lays on their stomach and stretches their back legs out behind them. A half-sploot or side-sploot is when they only extend one leg behind them. These are the things your dog wishes you knew.

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Canaan dog barking
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Bork

Dogs no longer bark, they bork. If you listen closely to a talkative dog, it actually sounds like they’re saying “bork.” Dogs try to communicate through barking—here are the secrets they try to tell you.

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young cream tabby ginger white maine coon cat drinking water from a metal bowl outdoors in the back yard on a hot summer day sticking out tongue
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Mlem

A mlem is when a dog, cat, or even a reptile sticks their tongue in and out of their mouth quickly. It might be to lap up some water, eat, or just taste the air. Here are some things you probably didn’t know about your cat.

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boop
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Boop

If a dog or cat has ever stuck their cute nose in your face, you know that it is almost impossible to not give it a little tap. That motion, accompanied by saying the word, “boop” is called a boop. If your cat lets you boop their nose, it’s probably one of the signs that your cat trusts you.

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Samoyed dog puppies
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Floof

You can probably guess what this one means. A dog or cat is classified as a floof if they have a lot of hair, so much so, that it makes them look five times bigger than they actually are. These are the things your cat would love to tell you.

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snoot
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Snoot

The word snoot is already in the dictionary meaning snout or nose. It’s not often used to describe human noses, but it’s a great word to describe a dog’s nose. You need to see these funny dog photos.

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Three English bulldog on a leash
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Doggo

Every dog is a doggo. There’s no rhyme or reason behind it, it’s just a cuter way of saying dog. You can even apply it to animals that aren’t dogs—for example, water doggos are seals. See the 50 cutest dog breeds as puppies.

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Little puppys Golden retriever, running around, playing in the summer park
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Pupper

Pupper is just like doggo, but it is used to describe a puppy. Some people also use it to describe full-grown dogs that they find extra adorable. These are the world’s tiniest dog breeds.

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Saint bernard in winter
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Woofer

Woofer is used to describe a larger, burlier dog, the opposite of pupper. Check out 13 of the world’s biggest dog breeds.

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Cute persian kitten walking on cat tower
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Smol

Some pets are so tiny and cute that calling them small doesn’t cut it. Using the word “smol” to describe a dog or cat means that they are a super little puppy or kitten and extra cute. See what the cutest cat breeds look like as kittens.

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A very little puppy is running happily with floppy ears trough a garden with green grass. It almost looks like he can fly. He smiles and shows his tiny canine teeth.
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Zoomies

Every pet owner is probably familiar with Zoomies. When your dog or cat has zoomies, it means that they got a burst of energy and will run around in circles or start getting really excited out of the blue. This is how much exercise your dog really needs.

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Funny face white dog
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Derp

A derp is an expression of confusion, awkwardness, or cluelessness from a dog or cat. A good example is a pet that leaves their tongue hanging out. Avoid these dangerous mistakes that cat owners should never make.

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young cream tabby ginger white maine coon cat walking on grass with clover outdoors in the garden on a hot and sunny summer day looking ahead sticking out tongue licking over nose
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Blep

A blep is similar to a derp in that your pet sticks their tongue out, but a blep is much faster. They only stick their tongue out for a quick second and then put it back in their mouth. These are the pet combinations that are most likely to hate each other.

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bottom view of a cat foot showing the toes, also know as bean toes or toe beans. The paw is white while the bean toes are pink.
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Toe beans

Your pet’s toe beans are the adorable pads they have on the bottom of their paws. They look cute but try not to squeeze them too hard because you could get clawed. Avoid these things you’re probably doing that veterinarians wouldn’t do.

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Single large black Newfoundland dog massive broad snout, lonely dog watching, head portrait in profile, animal photo taken in Poland, open air, summertime. Horizontal orientation.
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Boof

In addition to barking (borking), dogs also boof. A boof is a lower deeper bark—where they may not even open their mouth—that a dog will use if slightly intimidated or if they know they will get yelled at for being loud. Watch out for these signs your dog is sick.

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Husky dog profile portrait outdoors. Cute white siberian husky dog with blue eyes, showing its tongue and teeth
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Teef

This is another one that is pretty self-explanatory. Teef or teefies are when your pet shows off their teeth to you. It might be a smile or just an awkward look they give you when their lip gets stuck on their teeth. To make sure your dog’s teeth stay nice and clean, learn about how often you should be brushing them.