The brain activity of dogs reveals they can recognize object names, although their reactions to hearing such names may have obscured signs of recognition.
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A recent study indicates that dogs possess a referential comprehension ability, challenging the previous belief that they lacked such skill.
This conclusion emerged after observing that dogs reacted distinctly when hearing the name of a familiar object.
While previous research suggested that dogs didn’t form meaningful associations with words, recent studies used brain monitoring to assess if dogs comprehended words passively. Results indicated that dogs exhibited brain activity akin to the N400 effect in humans, suggesting a semantic understanding of the words heard.
Interestingly, dogs reacted more strongly when a familiar object was mentioned, even if it wasn’t present, indicating expectations associated with the words heard.
The change in the environment in which dogs live, especially in human homes, may have influenced this evolution in canine linguistic comprehension. Furthermore, dogs’ strong emotional bond with humans may have played a crucial role in their ability to understand and respond to words meaningfully.
Source: Ars Technica
