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Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsIs this news? Dogs can associate words with objects
I mean, the study below is making headlines in the news today, but for anyone who has ever owned a dog, you were well aware that this is true long ago.
We had a female German shepherd/husky mix and you could tell her to go get a ball. She'd get a ball.
Go get Frisbee. She'd bring the Frisbee.
Go get stuffy (stuffed animal). She's fetch a stuffed animal.
Go get a stick. She'd retrieve a stick.
Go get rope. She'd return with her tug rope.
Occasionally, she'd bring the wrong item, but it was pretty rare.
That our four-legged companions are able to recognise words that prompt actions will come as no surprise to dog owners who tell their pets to "sit" or "fetch".
However, the study, which analysed brain activity in 18 dogs, provided evidence that they can activate a memory of an object when they hear its name. The study was carried out at the Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest and published in the journal Current Biology.
"There has been a long debate on a non-human animal's ability to understand words referentially," said Marianna Boros who co-authored the study.
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/dogs-associate-words-objects-study-063116682.html
samnsara
(17,622 posts)..will! I will ask her 'Wheres daddy?' and she turns her head to where he is..or i ask her 'wheres Vinnie' ( our aged rat terrier) and she will turn her head to where he is.
dogs are pretty dang smart..
Faux pas
(14,681 posts)Of course he's the smartest boy ever!!!!
tazkcmo
(7,300 posts)Bone.
Treat.
Maverick (our cat).
Hungry (food).
Thirsty (water).
He even poops and pees on command.
True Dough
(17,306 posts)I'm still trying to get that down myself!
Seriously, I'm really rooting for your success!
Walleye
(31,028 posts)There were three of them one of them the daughter of the first one was a bit of a rascal. She wouldnt bring me back the frisbee, so I would go inside and she would lean it up against the door. So once, I swear, I said, Im gonna count to 10 if you dont bring me that frisbee, Im gonna go inside. The dog brought it back at about the count of seven
Diamond_Dog
(32,006 posts)Ball, outside, Daddy, Time for Bed, pizza, treat, pill, go poop, go pee, car
Probably about ten more things if I could think of them.
True Dough
(17,306 posts)If so, I need to find out more about your training methods!
Diamond_Dog
(32,006 posts)It limits her activities.
Duncanpup
(12,860 posts)Diamond_Dog
(32,006 posts)ProfessorGAC
(65,076 posts)Because he runs right to the door to the garage if he hears the word.
And, he know four of his toys by name.
This study doesn't surprise me at all.
intheflow
(28,477 posts)If they can associate words with actions ("Let's go for a walk" = paw-dancing & tail wagging), then of course they know nouns ("Do you want a treat?" = paw-dancing & tail wagging). I can't believe they did a study for this.
EverHopeful
(187 posts)or our girl would get so excited she wouldn't let us out the door without her--and it happened even if we weren't getting ready to go out so no clues that a car trip might me in the future.
Once yelled that I'd left something in the car and the poor thing got so excited I took pity on her and took her for a short ride.
tazkcmo
(7,300 posts)The "C word" rhymed with far, not bunt in our house!
nuxvomica
(12,429 posts)Eventually, even when spelled out as "T-R-E-A-T". And my dear, departed Sheltie, Andy, would flip out if you said the word "school", even in a whisper, because his favorite thing was to go to a nearby grade-school campus so we could chase each other around. Andy once pulled a muscle in his right front leg when running around house. He kept holding the leg up and was taken to the vet, who examined him and said he'd be fine. He was better within an hour but thereafter, when he tipped over wastebaskets and I hollered at him, he'd hold up that paw and I would give him hugs and kisses to make him feel better. One day I came home and he had knocked over the kitchen wastebasket. To prevent a scolding, he held up his left paw and I laughed, saying, "You stupid dog! That's the wrong paw," so he switched and held up his right paw instead.
Marthe48
(16,975 posts)Cats can understand 300, but they ignore you
We had a little dog who barked her head off whenever she saw people walking on our street. We discovered if we said, in increasing volume, "Do you want a bath?" she'd stop barking. We had a fenced in yard and when she was out there, she'd bark and chase along the fence. One day, I heard one of the neighbor kids say, "Do you want a bath!" It was hilarious.
True Dough
(17,306 posts)but I'm at a few hundred words of comprehension myself. My wife congratulates me regularly.
Brother Buzz
(36,444 posts)Hermit-The-Prog
(33,350 posts)BlueKota
(1,745 posts)to bark once if I said speak once, twice if I said bark two times, and 3 times if I asked her to bark 3 times. I even varied the order of the requests to make sure she wasn't just following an ingrained pattern.
And this was a dog, whom some assholes threw out of a car into main street traffic when she was six months old. Luckily she was rescued by a good samaritan, and we adopted her. She lived until she was 14 years old. She was one loving and smart dog.
BlueKota
(1,745 posts)has developed a habit of standing right outside the garage door, when I want him to come in from his fenced in play yard, refusing to come in until I give him a treat.
Well the vet says he's gaining too much weight so I am trying not to have to give him one every time he goes in and out.
So when I let him out in the morning, I put his morning meal in his bowl, show it to him and say "I am going to give it to the kitty since you don't want it." He comes flying in so fast he almost knocks me over. If I just stand there and show him the food, without saying that, he just continues to stand outside looking at me.
EverHopeful
(187 posts)they had been indoor/outdoor cats and she used the treat bag to coax them in for the night. Even though they were in all day, if we tried to retire to our beds without offering treats, they assured us no sleep would be allowed before treats were offered.
Animals sure know how to manipulate their humans into giving them what they want.
debm55
(25,218 posts)Shermann
(7,423 posts)Dogs can associate words not only with simple objects, but concepts such as "bad" and "good" as well as commands.
True Dough
(17,306 posts)I do. I've debated this with a relative who says no way.
Like if your dog wants something and doesn't get it and you find your shoe all chewed up a short while later. Is that not spite? Frustration? Sheer coincidence?
Shermann
(7,423 posts)Spitefulness, hard to say. I sometimes wonder if dogs have a sense of humor. They seem to enjoy pulling pranks in their own way.
They are DEFINITELY able to engage in deception, that stems from primal survival instincts.
Elessar Zappa
(14,004 posts)TBF
(32,067 posts)if I ask him "show me where your bone is" - he will run to it. We've had labs previously and they would often learn words associated with food! Also, they learn "leash" really fast.
av8rdave
(10,573 posts)Ice cream, cheeseburger, cheese
As you might guess, he led a VERY pampered life.
RainCaster
(10,884 posts)All of ours knew that if you have a treat for one, you have a treat for each. Meals for everybody at the same time.
Toys for everybody, and playtime too.
We've raised beagles & GSDs for 40+ years and they are all the same. The all get nouns and verbs. "Dinner" or "Ride" or "Leash" or "Walk" or... Our GSDs were the fastest at learning new words and behaviors. The beagles learned too, but they have different motivators.
gay texan
(2,453 posts)"Go to your spot" means go sit in a pre determined spot to get a treat
"Tractor" he will go and wait by the tractor
"Pickup!" He goes to the pickup
"Steak?" He goes and waits by the grill for steak
hydrolastic
(488 posts)My Dad said it was the smartest dog he ever met. One day I was getting ready to get in a fight with the neighborhood bully and I would lose for sure. Just before the fight I told him he didn't want to fight me ! He said Why? I said cause of Sam.... He looked over and just then Sam fiercely bared his teeth ! The bully walked away. I loved that Dog !
The Wizard
(12,545 posts)throws our shoes down the stairs when he wants to go for a walk.
Emile
(22,789 posts)runs to the refrigerator. Amazing talent.