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BARKING UP THE RIGHT VOCABULARY SOME PUPS ARE SECRET LINGUISTS
Does your dog quietly tilt their head at the mention of “treat” or “walk?” It turns out they’re not just getting ready to wag their tail; they’re actually listening. Our four-legged friends pick up on certain words we use often. But the cleverest canines can actually learn brand-new vocabulary by eavesdropping on everyday conversations. Does the latest study on canine communication from the journal Science mean your loyal pet might be a budding linguist?
know the difference between “fetch the ball” or “fetch the Frisbee.” Only a small number of dogs can pick up on the difference and understand that certain names refer to specific objects. Some pups are naturals with language, and owners usually notice when their dog reacts correctly to words they did not train them to understand.
Typical Tail-Waggers To test how these brainy dogs learn words that aren’t directed at them, cognitive scientist Shany Dror of Eötvös Loránd University and the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, experimented with her colleagues. The dog got to look at a new toy, and then their owner placed it out of sight in a bucket. The owner would talk to the dog, mention the toy’s name, and look at the bucket. It proved a challenge, and typical pet dogs just gave a head tilt. However, the word-wise woofers could retrieve that toy when asked.
Brainy Best Friends Almost all dogs can hear the tone of our voice,
recognize hand movements, or associate a word with a physical object they are shown. Only a handful of pups can learn the name of a new toy without even looking at it, as long as their human is glancing at the area where that toy is located. Bright breeds like border collies are particularly good at interpreting social cues to understand what their owners are talking about. Word-Wise Woofers Determining just how many words a dog can learn is tricky. Many dogs learn commands like “fetch,” but they wouldn’t
So, the next time your dog perks up mid-conversation, they might be learning your language.
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