FMT:
Is your dog secretly eavesdropping on you?
New research suggests that, not unlike toddlers, our canine companions can pick up certain words without us even realising
New findings offer a fresh reminder that dogs often pay close attention to our words, even when we think they are not listening. (Envato Elements pic)
PETALING JAYA: If you have ever suspected that your dog understands more than it lets on, science may be on your side. According to a recent AFP report, a small group of unusually gifted dogs can learn the names of new objects simply by listening to their owners talk, without being spoken to directly.
The finding comes from a new study involving 10 so-called “gifted word learner” dogs, including a Border collie named Basket and a Labrador called Augie. These dogs already had a proven ability to recognise the names of multiple toys, making them ideal candidates for testing how dogs acquire new words.
In the experiment, the dogs watched as their owners held up a brand-new toy and casually talked about it with another person in the room. The conversation mentioned the toy by name, but the dog was not addressed or instructed in any way.
Later, the dogs were sent into another room and asked to retrieve the specific toy from a pile of many others. Seven out of the 10 dogs successfully picked out the correct toy, having learnt the names of their new stingray and armadillo stuffies purely from overhearing the conversation!
“This is the first time that we see a specific group of dogs that are able to learn labels from overhearing interactions,” said study author Shany Dror with Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary and the University of Veterinary Medicine in Austria, as quoted by AFP.
To make the task even harder, the researchers added another twist: in some trials, the toy was placed inside an opaque box before the owners talked about it with someone else. This removed the visual cue entirely, forcing the dogs to rely on sound alone.
The finding comes from a new study involving 10 so-called “gifted word learner” dogs, including a Border collie named Basket and a Labrador called Augie. These dogs already had a proven ability to recognise the names of multiple toys, making them ideal candidates for testing how dogs acquire new words.
In the experiment, the dogs watched as their owners held up a brand-new toy and casually talked about it with another person in the room. The conversation mentioned the toy by name, but the dog was not addressed or instructed in any way.
Later, the dogs were sent into another room and asked to retrieve the specific toy from a pile of many others. Seven out of the 10 dogs successfully picked out the correct toy, having learnt the names of their new stingray and armadillo stuffies purely from overhearing the conversation!
“This is the first time that we see a specific group of dogs that are able to learn labels from overhearing interactions,” said study author Shany Dror with Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary and the University of Veterinary Medicine in Austria, as quoted by AFP.
To make the task even harder, the researchers added another twist: in some trials, the toy was placed inside an opaque box before the owners talked about it with someone else. This removed the visual cue entirely, forcing the dogs to rely on sound alone.
Before you get your hopes up, the experts caution that not all dogs will demonstrate such toy-identifying capability – in fact, it is quite rare. (Envato Elements pic)
Remarkably, the gifted dogs still succeeded, showing they could link a word to an object even when they could not see it at the moment it was being named.
The researchers say this ability mirrors how human toddlers learn language, by picking up words from everyday conversations around them rather than through direct teaching.
The findings suggest that “animals have a lot more going on cognitively than maybe you think they do”, said animal cognition expert Heidi Lyn with the University of South Alabama, who was not involved in the study.
Before owners start holding vocabulary lessons in the living room, however, here’s a sobering disclaimer: not every pooch is a word wiz. According to the experts, this skill appears to be rare – most dogs do not learn object names this way, even with training.
Still, the findings offer a fresh reminder that dogs often pay close attention to our words, even when we think they are not listening. So, the next time you chat about a new toy or make a plan front of your pet, choose your words carefully – your doggo just might be taking notes!
Remarkably, the gifted dogs still succeeded, showing they could link a word to an object even when they could not see it at the moment it was being named.
The researchers say this ability mirrors how human toddlers learn language, by picking up words from everyday conversations around them rather than through direct teaching.
The findings suggest that “animals have a lot more going on cognitively than maybe you think they do”, said animal cognition expert Heidi Lyn with the University of South Alabama, who was not involved in the study.
Before owners start holding vocabulary lessons in the living room, however, here’s a sobering disclaimer: not every pooch is a word wiz. According to the experts, this skill appears to be rare – most dogs do not learn object names this way, even with training.
Still, the findings offer a fresh reminder that dogs often pay close attention to our words, even when we think they are not listening. So, the next time you chat about a new toy or make a plan front of your pet, choose your words carefully – your doggo just might be taking notes!
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Most likely (99.8% certain) these dogs which understand English have been trained by the Red (Communist) Chinese 😂😂😂
It confirms Trump's suspicions about eavesdropping Chinese cars, dogs and chow mien noodles, all collecting intelligence for nefarious intent.
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