These dogs can learn new words just by eavesdropping

Thursday, January 08, 2026

If you've ever had to spell out words like W-A-L-K or T-R-E-A-T around a dog, you know that some dogs listen in to humans' chitchat and can pick out certain key words. Well, it turns out that some genius dogs can learn a brand new word, like the name of an unfamiliar toy, by just overhearing brief interactions between two people.

Posted by LampLighter at 09:26 PM | 3 COMMENTS | permalink | Comment on This Entry |

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More from the article ...

... What's more, these "gifted" dogs can learn the name of a new toy even if they first hear this word when the toy is out of sight -- as long as their favorite human is looking at the spot where the toy is hidden. That's according to a new study in the journal Science.

"What we found in this study is that the dogs are using social communication. They're using these social cues to understand what the owners are talking about," says cognitive scientist Shany Dror of Etvs Lornd University and the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna. ...

#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-01-08 09:28 PM | Reply

I had relatives who owned a poodle, and they would say "China" and the dog would dig like crazy. Also, "C-A-T" and the dog would bark like a crack addict

#2 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2026-01-08 09:37 PM | Reply | Funny: 1

had relatives who owned a poodle, and they would say "China" and the dog would dig like crazy. Also, "C-A-T" and the dog would bark like a crack addict

#2 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2026-01-08 09:37 PM | Reply | Flag: That figures.

#3 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2026-01-09 02:48 AM | Reply