How Gifted Dogs Learn and Apply Words

Recent studies show how some gifted dogs can go beyond merely memorizing the names of objects to applying words to new functions. Through a study conducted on dogs with large vocabularies, it was discovered that these dogs can distinguish between toys based on their functions, not just their shapes.

Introduction to the Study and Its Details

In a study recently published in the journal Current Biology, a team of researchers led by Claudia Fugazza from Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary investigated the word-learning abilities of some gifted dogs. The focus was on dogs with extensive vocabularies, especially Border Collies, to understand how well they could expand their understanding of words to include new objects sharing the same function.

The study involved ten gifted dogs, which were taught the names of toys from two different categories: tug toys and fetch toys. All the toys varied in size, shape, and color, so appearance was not the primary factor in learning.

Results of the Experiment and Their Application

After four weeks of training, new toys different from the usual ones were introduced to the dogs. During playtime, the dogs learned the functions of the new toys without being taught new words for those toys. After a week of play, when asked to fetch specific toys, the dogs were able to choose the correct toy more than two-thirds of the time, a rate much higher than what would be expected by chance.

These results showed that gifted dogs are not only capable of memorizing the names of many objects but can also apply familiar words to new objects that share the same function.

Comparison Between Dogs and Children in Word Learning

The study illustrates that gifted dogs exhibit behavior similar to children at the beginning of their word-learning journey. While children initially rely on the shape of objects to expand their vocabulary, they later begin to use function or role to learn new words.

Elika Bergelson, a language sciences researcher at Harvard University, notes that children primarily depend on appearance, but by 14 months old, they can also use function to differentiate between objects, much like the dogs did in the study.

Conclusion

The study offers new insights into how dogs learn words and apply them to new objects based on their functions. This research is an important step in understanding the evolution of linguistic abilities across species and how they can manifest in creatures that do not naturally use language. Gifted dogs live in family environments and receive words naturally, making them a unique model for studying language evolution. This understanding can provide scientists with new opportunities to explore how language-related abilities develop and appear in non-linguistic species.