These dogs eavesdrop on their owners to learn new words

Not all dogs possess the same level of cognitive skills, particularly when it comes to language comprehension. While many dogs can grasp basic commands like 'sit' or 'stay,' there exists a special group known as 'gifted word learners' (GWL). These remarkable dogs can learn the names of various objects so proficiently that they can retrieve specific toys from a large assortment on command. Recent research published in the journal Science has revealed that GWL dogs can even acquire labels for new toys by simply overhearing their owners discuss them. This finding indicates that these dogs possess sociocognitive abilities comparable to those of 18-month-old human toddlers. Claudia Fugazza, a co-author from Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, Hungary, has been investigating canine cognition and behavior for years as part of the Genius Dog Challenge. In a 2022 study, Fugazza’s team discovered that dogs retain essential sensory information about their toys, particularly visual and olfactory characteristics, which they recall when searching for a named toy. Previous research had indicated that dogs mainly rely on sight, or a combination of sight and smell, to locate specific objects. Interestingly, GWL dogs can also identify items based on verbal labels. In the same 2022 study, all participating dogs, whether GWL or typical, were able to find the target toys in both well-lit and dark environments. However, they took longer to locate the toys in the dark, predominantly relying on visual cues despite their excellent sense of smell. During dark conditions, the dogs exhibited increased sniffing behavior, suggesting they were using their olfactory sense to aid their search. The GWL dogs demonstrated an impressive ability to select named toys when given commands, similarly relying on visual recognition, augmented by their sense of smell, especially in low-light situations. This research confirms that dogs catalog the features of their toys through multiple senses, forming a 'multistory mental image' that aids in identification. While they prefer to use visual cues, they can adapt and utilize other sensory information, particularly smell, when necessary.