• A unique group of dogs, dubbed “gifted word learners,” can acquire vocabulary simply by overhearing conversations.
• These dogs are capable of learning the names of toys without direct training, displaying remarkable cognitive abilities.
• The study highlights the potential parallels between how dogs and toddlers learn language through social cues.
• Researchers emphasize that while not all dogs exhibit this talent, they generally excel at understanding human communication.

A study published in the journal Science indicates that a special subset of dogs, referred to as “gifted word learners” (GWL), can master new vocabulary by eavesdropping on human conversations. Cognitive researcher Shany Dror of the Veterinary University of Vienna noted that these dogs can decipher names of toys while overhearing discussions between their owners, without direct instruction, much like young children learn language. "We found that these dogs can learn the names of new toys when they listen to their owners interact," Dror stated, explaining that the ability of these dogs to create associations with words is surprising and impressive, according to ABC News, NPR, and South China Morning Post.

During the study, conducted by Dror and her colleagues from Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary, dogs demonstrated the ability to learn new toy names quickly and effectively. For instance, in one experiment, owners introduced the names of toys while conversing with another person, and notably, seven out of ten dogs successfully learned the names of their new toys within just eight minutes. “I think it shows us how complex the ability of dogs is and how complex are the social abilities of dogs," Dror commented, which indicates a level of learning akin to that of toddlers, as reinforced by findings shared in ABC News and South China Morning Post.

Interestingly, these gifted dogs can recognize toy names even if they hear the name when the toy is out of sight, provided their owner is looking towards the toy's location. According to Dror, "This tells us that the ability to use social information is actually something that humans probably had before they had language," highlighting the evolutionary significance of this ability. Such findings underline the remarkable cognitive flexibility of these dogs and the potential learning mechanisms they employ, as noted in both South China Morning Post and NPR.

Dror's ongoing research is focused on identifying more dogs with this extraordinary ability, as she indicated that they have identified around 45 dogs with exceptional skills over several years. "Even though typical dogs may not learn through overheard speech, they are generally good at understanding human communicative cues," she noted, encouraging dog owners to consider the subtle social signals they convey. This viewpoint is echoed in comments from researchers who warn against generalizing these capacities to all dogs, emphasizing the exceptional nature of the subjects studied, according to ABC News and South China Morning Post.