According to a study from Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary, some dogs have the remarkable ability to learn the names of various objects. Researchers identified 41 dogs from nine countries that outperformed chance in vocabulary tests.
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Surprisingly, most of these “Gifted Word Learners” (GWL) were not intentionally trained to recognize toy names; instead, they seemed to acquire this skill spontaneously during unstructured play.
The study highlights the rarity of this ability among dogs and suggests that the personality of the animal may play a crucial role in this skill. The research, part of the ‘Genius Dog Challenge,’ involved 35 owners of exceptionally intelligent dogs, most of whom had no professional experience in dog training.
The dogs, predominantly of the ‘Border Collie’ breed, stood out for their unique ability to learn object names. Contrary to expectations, most owners reported not intentionally teaching these names, indicating a natural ability of dogs for this feat. The results underscore the scarcity of information about this skill in dogs and the importance of continuing research to better understand this unique phenomenon in the animal kingdom.
