Dogs are known for their ability to learn action commands taught by their owners. However, they typically face more difficulty in remembering nouns, such as the names of toys.

Scientists have identified only about 50 dogs globally as "gifted word-learners", possessing the unique ability to remember the names of hundreds of different toys. However, the mechanism behind this language skill remains a mystery.

A study published in early january in Science magazine has expanded understanding of this animal's capabilities. Previously, scientists knew that intelligent dogs could learn the names of toys (like pizza-shaped pillows or donuts) through direct play with their owners. But in the latest research, they discovered that dogs can also understand new words by "eavesdropping".

Illustration: Pexels

The experiment involved 10 gifted dogs, including Basket (a border collie) and Augie (a labrador). During the experiment, these dogs observed their owners holding a new toy and discussing it with another person.

After the conversation, the dogs were asked to go to another room to find and retrieve the correct toy from a pile of cluttered items. As a result, 7 of the 10 dogs learned the names of the new toys through passively listening to their owners' conversations.

"This is the first time we have seen a specific group of dogs able to learn words by eavesdropping on social interactions", said Shany Dror, a study author from Eötvös Lorand University (Hungary) and the University of Veterinary Medicine (Austria).

These dogs even succeeded when owners hid the toy in a closed box before discussing it with another person. This created a delay between seeing the object and hearing its name, requiring higher cognitive ability.

This "eavesdropping" learning ability is rare in animals, previously only observed in some species like parrots and apes.

This is also a fundamental skill in human development. Children under two years old can learn new words by listening to adults speak, including words that parents do not intentionally teach.

However, Shany Dror noted that since these dogs were all adults, the brain mechanisms enabling them to eavesdrop might differ from those in children.

Heidi Lyn, an animal cognition expert at the University of South Alabama (US), commented, "This new work shows that animals possess far more complex thinking than humans have previously believed".

However, Lyn also warned that not all dogs possess this ability. Therefore, pet owners should not expect their canine companions to learn the names of food items merely by eavesdropping under the dinner table.

The research team plans to continue investigating what specific cues these gifted dogs rely on to learn words.

Lam Giang (According to AP)