‘Gifted learner dogs’ can learn words by eavesdropping, study says
Certain canines can learn using cues from people’s gaze, gestures, attention and voices, researchers find
TL;DR
- Certain dogs can learn object names by eavesdropping on human conversations.
- This learning process involves complex social cognitive skills, including using gaze, gestures, and voices.
- Experiments showed gifted word learner dogs performed nearly as well learning names from overhearing as from direct introduction.
- The ability to learn labels from overheard speech is also found in bonobos and African grey parrots.
- This skill may predate language, suggesting an evolutionary link between social interaction understanding and language development.
- The study highlights that typical family dogs do not possess this skill, but gifted learners do.