Baby's First Word Isn't ‘Mama' or ‘Dada'-It's Her Cocker Spaniel's Name
There's nothing like hearing your baby's first word, and this video of a baby speaking is going viral for a very special reason.
The little girl skips right past "mama" and "dada" and says something, or rather someone else, very important: the name of her beloved Cocker Spaniel.
It's such a sweet moment, and it perfectly captures the strong emotional bond between babies and dogs.
@alba.thecocker I will hold this sweet moment in my heart forever . . . . #firstwords#furbaby#englishcockerspaniel#babywithdog#dogsarefamily
original sound - ALBA
We love that this baby with her two little teeth can't stop repeating her dog's name, Alba.
To be fair, Alba is about as easy to say as Mama or Dada (and sounds a lot like them), but we love that she chose this for her first word.
Her parents obviously do, too, as they wrote in the caption, "I will hold this sweet moment in my heart forever."
Related: Precious ‘Hot Fudge' Cocker Spaniel Puppy Has a Face That Could Melt Any Heart
Why Babies Say a Dog's Name Before 'Mama' or 'Dada'
As someone who grew up in a house where their older sister's first word was the name of the beloved family dog (Marnie in this case), this is a very relatable scenario.
So why do babies often say the name of the family dog before their parents?
Well, there are a few reasons this may happen.
- Repetition: There's a good chance your baby hears your dog's name being called throughout the day, more than the words "Mama" or "Dada" (as the dog is often doing things she probably shouldn't be doing that require her name to be called). So the baby becomes more familiar with the sound, and the repetition helps.
- Social bonding between dogs and babies is strong: Babies, of course, form strong attachments to their parents, but as we have seen in many videos, they also form strong bonds with the family dog. Pups are around them a lot and often become very protective of the new family member, and also can become a play (and sleeping) companion. A baby will soon learn that making a certain sound gets their dog sibling to them faster.
- Natural language development: First words for babies tend to be easy to pronounce and repeat sounds they hear. The name "Alba" may be a bit easier to say than "Mama" or even "Dada," and she probably hears it a lot, so this was natural.
We just love how calm and happy Alba is when she is around her baby companion, who now knows her name!
What a sweet moment between dog and baby!
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This story was originally published May 6, 2026 at 5:20 PM.