Ever wondered if dogs truly understand words? It’s a question that fascinated researchers and dog owners alike. But a recent breakthrough in neuroscience using EEG technology, suggests our furry companions might comprehend more than we ever imagined.

Neural insights:
I had the pleasure of corresponding with Mariana Boros, the first author of the recently published paper entitled: “Neural evidence for referential understanding of object words in dogs”[1], to hear more about their fascinating experiments. Her team at the Elite Department of Ethology at University of Hungary used non-invasive EEG technology to delve into dog’s minds. What they found was astonishing: dogs can form mental representations of words that refer to objects. In the experiments presented in this paper, when dogs were told to look at a toy, say a ball, they formed a mental representation of that toy, in such a way that if the dog was later presented with a different toy, say a tug toy, this became evident in the brain activity. This is the first time that understanding of words referring to objects is demonstrated in other species apart from humans.

Behavioral proof:
These experiments support what we have been seeing from the dog training and behavior perspective for many years. From a behavioral perspective, if we did similar experiments as the authors of this paper, we would expect to see  dogs show  conflicted behaviors in case we tell them to look at ball, but then present them with a tug toy. Dogs may turn their head away, look to the side, lip lick, yawn, blink, twitch an ear or changing body position.  So, next time you ask you pup  to fetch his favourite toy or point at the leash, consider this: they may not just be responding to your cues – they could be genuinely understanding the words you are saying. It’s a revelation that deepens our appreciation for the cognitive abilities of our canine companions

Practical implications:
The implications of these findings extend beyond the scientific realm. Understanding how dogs interpret our words can deepen the bond between humans and dogs and improve communication in service or therapy settings where dogs play crucial roles.

In conclusion, the next time you engage in a conversation with your furry friend, remember – they might be understanding more than you think. Thanks to a  multidisciplinary approach of behaviourists and scientists, we are getting closer to unravelling the mysteries of canine comprehension, opening up a world of possibilities for our relationships with the man’s best friend

References:
[1] M. Boros, L. Magyari, B. Morvai, R. Hernández-Pérez, S. Dror, and A. Andics (2024). Neural evidence for referential understanding of object words in dogs. Curr. Biol. 34.

Acknowledgements:
Thanks to Mariana Boros for engaging scientific discussions