Do Dogs Understand Human Language? Research Shows Surprising Linguistic Abilities

Many pet owners believe their companions understand them. But does science support these claims? Researchers have investigated animal comprehension of human language for decades. Studies involving primates, birds, dolphins, and other animals flourished in the 1960s and 70s. However, skeptics often criticized these studies, suggesting animals merely mimic their trainers. While many animals adeptly perceive contextual cues like body language and tone of voice, it's less clear whether they grasp the meaning of words and complex linguistic features like grammar. Current research suggests that some animals, with specific training, can understand aspects of human language, such as the sound and meaning of certain words, according to Live Science. Simon W. Townsend, a professor of evolutionary anthropology at the University of Zurich, explained that animal and human communication systems share similarities. Most animals lack evolutionary reasons to care about human language. However, dogs, coexisting with humans for at least 14,000 years, have a particular motivation to listen and respond to their owners. Dogs are attuned to specific sounds and tones humans use for communication. They show interest in human voices and gestures as early as eight weeks old. Neuroscientific research indicates that dogs possess mental representations of words, suggesting a deeper understanding of language. Some dogs may even understand basic grammar. Chaser, a highly trained border collie known as "the smartest dog in the world," learned over 1,000 words. A 2011 study showed Chaser could differentiate between commands like "take the sock to the ball" and "take the ball to the sock," indicating a basic grasp of syntax. Frederico Rossano, an associate professor of cognitive science at the University of San Diego, studies canine linguistic abilities using boards with buttons. Each button plays a recorded word when pressed. In 2024, Rossano demonstrated that dogs respond to the actual sounds of words, not just their context. The study involved 59 dogs listening to a researcher pressing buttons with words related to outside, play, and food, alongside a nonsense word for comparison. The researcher wore headphones to prevent influencing the dogs' responses. Even without contextual cues, dogs exhibited behaviors associated with going outside or playing when hearing the corresponding recordings, such as running to the door or grabbing a toy. This research suggests dogs can understand human speech even without contextual cues. However, other studies indicate dogs don't distinguish between words differing by a single sound, like "sit" and "set," suggesting their understanding is likely limited.