Some Dogs Can Learn New Words by Snooping in Our Conversations, Study Finds

Gizmodo – “Gifted word learner dogs seem capable of eavesdropping about as well as 18-month-old toddlers, the study researchers say…Your average dog can easily be trained to associate human words with requested actions like “sit” or “stay.” But, according to Dror, only some dogs seem to be naturally adept at understanding and internalizing the connection between a specific word spoken by a person and the physical object it’s naming (usually a toy). The most talented of these canines, which the researchers have dubbed Gifted Word Learner (GWL) dogs, can learn the names of hundreds of dog toys while playing with their owners…”