Foster Mom Realizing Her Rescue Dog Understands Spanish Has People Emotional
There can be many unknowns when it comes to fostering a rescue dog. If the animal was rescued from the streets with no information about a previous owner, its former life might always be a mystery. Dogs obviously can't speak, but sometimes they give us clues about their past, including what language(s) they understand. A foster mom named Monica was pleasantly surprised when she learned that one of her foster dogs, a small Chihuahua mix named Nacho, understands Spanish. She shared proof of her discovery on TikTok in September 2025.
@themobtrio Our little Latin boy! I hope his previous family is doing okay — Nacho gives me the impression he was previously loved ❤️🩹🥺 #fyp #rescuedog #fosterdog
In the clip, she asks, "¿Qué pasó?", which translates to "What happened?" Nacho's ears perk up, giving the first clue of understanding. After asking a few more questions — some in Spanish and some in English — she receives confirmation. He excitedly jumps down from the bed after she says, "¿Vamos afuera? ¡Vamos!" which means, "Are we going outside? Let's go!" The dog then starts wagging his tail, waiting to be taken outside. Before taking him, Monica gives him one more command in Spanish, "Ven," which means "Come." The dog responds by jumping back up on the bed.
Comments from viewers have been pouring in, with one saying, "He is probably so relieved to be understood now." Another said, "He said you know my language. I'm so happy." Monice replied by saying she plans to continue speaking to him in Spanish so he'll feel "more at home." The discovery likely answered many of Monica's questions about the precious pup and gave her a little more peace of mind about his past and future.
Nacho's rescue and where he is now
Monica picked up Nacho from Wags & Walks Rescue in Los Angeles on September 29, a day before posting the video of her speaking Spanish to him. According to her TikTok post from that day, he had been at the shelter for a few weeks, and before that, he'd been roaming around the rescue facility for a few days. He was struggling to adjust to his new environment, so she agreed to foster him with hopes of helping him "come out of his shell." Her hopes became reality; he warmed up to her home and her other dogs within hours.
October clips from Monica's TikTok account show Nacho enjoying window views, playing with his temporary canine siblings, and behaving during bath time. His last days in foster care were very emotional for her, as she'd gotten quite attached to the big-eared Chihuahua. He spent his last night in her home on October 23 before being transported to the Oregon Humane Society in Portland, where he was placed for adoption. A few days later, he found his furever home, thanks, in part, to Monica's videos.
Interested in more rescue or adoption stories? Check out a dog stuck in a shelter for more than 2,000 days that has the most heartbreaking behavior, or a golden retriever that gets its forever home after a man comes to the shelter to adopt a different dog.