At around 4 to 6 mos old Leo my CAG started saying a few words and sounds (cell phone rings, dogs barking etc). He would say “no” if he didn’t want something and he would call me Ma and just bits and pieces and some time would pass & he wouldn’t say anything. And like you, it didn’t matter if he never said a word, I still love him, but I was curious. So I searched around and bumped into an Article that stated that CAG don’t really start the REAL talking until 2 1/2 years old. And BOY OH BOY – it was like a TALK button was pressed in Leo’s head when he reached that age. I couldn’t believe it and it has not stopped. My friend has a TAG which talked much earlier then Leo but I read that TAG’s do learn to speak earlier. This article is really good and informative (when I find it I can share it with you, if you like). I’m pretty sure the article is/was from The Grey Play Round Table. It also stated that if your CAG is already saying a few words here and there, is a good sigh that he/she will talk. They just need to little more time to put it all together and once they start the real taking that’s the end of silence as you know it – LOL. However, there are exceptions and just like children some talk earlier then others. 2 ½ years is the average of when CAG really start the REAL talking. What I mean the REAL talking is for example, like Leo in the morning he wakes up saying Good Morning and then he asks for my husband Philip who is usually gone to work by the time Leo wakes up. Then he starts asking for food and then he begins to do my cell phone ring and says Jessica (my girl who calls every morning to make sure I am up). And when she calls he has to talk to her over the phone and they have their own conversation. And when I start to get dress, he starts to tell me he loves me and he will miss me and when I get my coat he tells me “See you Later”. In between all that Leo has already called Remy my big dog and depending on how Remy acted he could call her a good girl or bad girl or something worse which we didn’t mean for him to learn. When he sees our little dog Tina he calls her a bad girl because she is always in trouble. And if he drops a toy or something he will say “sorry” or if I sneeze he will say “God Bless you: and if I ask him for a kiss and he gives it to me I will say thank you and he replies “You’re Welcome”. And it goes on and on all day long – it’s like having a little human being with feathers. Now we just take it for granted that he talks and we talk to him like he is a little half naked person, it’s crazy!! When new people come to the house they freak out. Sometimes he just likes to mimic someone just for fun – he does this to my son just to get a reaction from him. I know for a fact that Leo knows how to use most of the words he knows. And can easily mimic someone just for fun! Leo is so cool and super smart and funny.
I know this more then you asked for, but I can really get wrapped up when it comes to Leo.
Dines