Do you ever feel like your dog can understand what you’re saying? You may be right.
As dog parents, we can teach our pets to respond to basic cues such as “come”, “down”, “sit” or “stay”. But researchers in Hungary recently found that dogs can learn to associate certain words with specific objects (1).
The study enrolled 18 dogs in a non-invasive EEG (electroencephalogram) procedure that measured the brain activity of each dog participant and recorded their brain waves. The dog owners said the names of objects that were familiar to their pets, such as a ball or a Frisbee. They then took turns showing their dogs an object that matched the description and then showing them objects that did not.
The research team looked at the brain scans of each dog and recognized patterns in their brains when the words spoken did not match the objects that were shown to them. Basically, the dogs showed a startled reaction in their brains when they were told that an object was a ball, but were shown something different than what they expected. Next, the researchers plan to study whether the same thing happens in other mammals beyond dogs.
So what does this mean for dog parents?
“This new finding is exciting because it suggests that our dogs have a better understanding of our language than previously thought,” says Dr. Rhiannon Koehler, a Kansas-based veterinarian. “Your pet might know the word for their favorite toy or the words ‘bed’ or ‘rope’. They might know your name!”
The bond we have with our pets goes beyond language, Dr. Koehler says, but it’s reassuring to know that dogs might understand some of what we’re saying. Teaching dogs specific words could be useful for training, play or safety reasons.
“You can use the knowledge that your dog may know the words for specific objects to teach them new tricks, such as retrieving specific items,” says Dr. Koehler.
She suggests using positive reinforcement to try to teach your dog new words. For example, if you want to teach the word “ball,” hold the ball and say the word “ball.” When your dog interacts with the object, reward the behavior with tasty treats and affection. Start moving the ball further by saying the word, and then rewarding the interaction.
“Eventually, your puppy may start looking for the item when it’s mentioned,” explains Dr. Koehler. “Over time, you can move to intermittent sweet rewards. You should always reward positive behaviors with praise and love.”
Reference:
- Marianna Boros, Lilla Magyari, Boglarka Morvai, Raúl Hernández-Pérez, Shany Dror, Attila Andics. Neural evidence for referential comprehension of object words in dogs. Current Biology, 2024; DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.029