A dog owner is over the moon as she believes her pet can say her name.

Ellie Chapman, 20, thinks her Jack Russell, Ozzy, said “Ellie” in a video taken at their home in Barnsley. The video shows the dog raising his head back and vocalising – but it’s not apparent whether he truly is trying to speak, or is simply howling.

Nonetheless, Ellie, who works in a bar, was thrilled by this unique moment. She said: “I couldn’t believe it when he first said my name – it was so special.” She also mentioned that once, Ozzy seemed to say ‘I love you’, which she often tells him.

Ozzy has been with the family since he was a puppy. He lives with Ellie, her brother Owen, 25, and their parents Jill, 45, and Frazer, 44. The clever pooch started howling at rubbish vans five years ago, which made the family laugh.

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Convinced Ozzy was trying to communicate, Ellie began encouraging him to say her name. According to her, he started saying ‘Ellie’ in 2021 and now does it a few times a week.

She added: “We all just repeated my name in a kind of howling way.” Despite attempts, Ozzy doesn’t seem to be able to say any other family member’s names.