Dogs understand words: new research reveals pets' abilities
Dogs are able to understand human words without additional cues, such as gestures or objects denoted by those words.
An international team of scientists from the US, Spain and the UK found this out after conducting a series of experiments involving 59 dogs of different breeds.
The study was published in the journal PLOS One.
The course of the experiment
The scientists used a simulator with buttons on which voice messages could be recorded. The buttons were programmed with action-related words such as "go out," "play," and "eat." To avoid prompts, the buttons were covered with stickers so that neither the researchers nor the dog owners knew what word was written on each one.
In the first experiment, the buttons were pressed by a scientist who did not know what they were playing. In the second phase, the simulator was controlled by the dog owners themselves, who could either press the buttons or say the words in person. In both cases, the dogs responded to the words, regardless of whether it was a live voice or a recording, and regardless of who pressed the buttons.
Results of the study
The study found that dogs responded most clearly to words related to play and walk. However, responses to commands related to food were less unambiguous. This discovery confirmed that dogs can respond to words without the need for additional visual or gesture cues.
Experts' views
Professor Clive Wynne from Arizona State University, who was not involved in the study, was sceptical of the results, noting that the dogs' responses to familiar words were expected.
However, Melissa Berte from the University of Zurich believes that the experiment has laid the groundwork for further research, showing that dogs do respond to sound cues and not just to the actions of their owners.
She emphasised that this is an important step in the study of dog-human interaction, and further research in this area promises to be very interesting.