Dog owners across the UK might be teaching their pets new words without even realising it, according to a groundbreaking new study. Research from Hungary's Eötvös Loránd University has revealed that so-called 'genius dogs' have a remarkable ability to learn the names of objects simply by eavesdropping on their owners' conversations.
Canine Comprehension Mirrors Toddlers
The study focused on a group of gifted, multi-breed dogs capable of learning hundreds of toy names during play. The researchers compared the dogs' level of comprehension to that of young children under the age of two. Lead scientist Dr. Shany Dror stated that the findings demonstrate the socio-cognitive processes required for word learning are not uniquely human.
"Under the right conditions, some dogs present behaviours strikingly similar to those of young children," Dr. Dror explained. This challenges long-held assumptions about language acquisition being exclusive to humans.
The Eavesdropping Experiment
To test this ability, the researchers placed 10 of their identified genius dogs in two distinct situations over four days. In the first, owners directly interacted with their pets, introducing two new toys and saying their names. In the second scenario, the dogs simply watched as their owners talked to other people about the same toys.
Each interaction lasted only eight minutes. After this brief exposure, the dogs were asked to retrieve specific toys, like "bring Teddy". The results were astonishing. The dogs accurately identified the toys 80% of the time after direct interaction, and 100% of the time when they had merely overheard the names.
"Overall, the gifted dogs performed just as well when learning from overheard speech, as when they were directly taught, mirroring findings from infant studies," the university reported.
Learning Beyond Sight
In a follow-up experiment, the researchers made the task even harder. Owners showed toys to their dogs before placing them out of sight in a bucket, only naming the toys when the dogs could no longer see them. Despite this visual barrier, the dogs still successfully learned the new labels.
Senior scientist Dr. Claudia Fugazza said this suggests dogs can flexibly use a variety of different mechanisms to learn new object labels, not relying solely on visual cues during the naming moment.
Not Every Dog is a Genius
The team is quick to stress that these findings, while significant, do not apply to all dogs. "These dogs provide an exceptional model for exploring some of the cognitive abilities that enabled humans to develop language," said Dr. Dror. "But we do not suggest that all dogs learn in this way – far from it."
The research builds on previous work showing dogs can understand words for behaviours and objects, and even communicate using soundboard buttons. A 2019 study from Emory University also found that dogs process numerical quantities using a brain region similar to humans.
For owners who believe their pet might have a special talent, the research team is still accepting applications for participation in their ongoing studies into canine cognition.
