Has Dog Intelligence Evolved This Far? Some Dogs Learn Words Like Children — But Not All Dogs

"Our dog pretends not to listen but hears everything"—That might not just be your imagination

Living with a dog brings about mysterious moments. Even when you don't intend to speak to your dog, they react to certain words with sparkling eyes. Words like "walk," "treat," and "ball" often trigger this reaction. Consequently, we start spelling out words to avoid detection—"W-A-L-K." However, there comes a day when even that doesn't work.

Recent studies have focused on dogs that learn not commands (like "sit") but the **names of objects**. Some dogs can fetch "Teddy" from a pile of toys. Remarkably, some individuals can remember hundreds of names. Furthermore, the latest research suggests that some of these dogs might learn new words just by "eavesdropping" on their owners' conversations, sparking much interest.

How genuine is a dog's "word comprehension"?

Dogs are sensitive to human voices and respond well to cues like pointing or gaze. However, the question of whether they understand "words" is quite complex. This is because what dogs excel at is often learning the cue→action sequence, and the "connection" we feel daily is a mix of facial expressions, situational clues, and repeated experiences.

Yet, there are exceptions. Some dogs are exceptionally good at associating “objects themselves” with “sounds (labels)” rather than commands. Researchers call these dogs Label Learning Dogs/Gifted Word Learners (GWL). The key point is that dogs learn pairs of objects and names, not sentences or grammar.

In 2004, a dog named "Rico" amazed the world

The field gained widespread attention in 2004 with the Border Collie named "Rico." Rico demonstrated the ability to distinguish between over 200 toy names in experiments and fetch the instructed toy.

To avoid doubts that Rico was merely responding to unconscious cues from his owner, researchers tested him under conditions where he couldn't see people. The results remained unchanged. This means that at least Rico wasn't just "cheating" by using visual or gestural cues.

Do dogs use "elimination method (fast mapping)" like children?

When children learn new words, they often use the "elimination method." If familiar and unfamiliar items are presented together, they might assume the unfamiliar word refers to the unfamiliar object. This is a type of learning known as "fast mapping."

Rico exhibited similar behavior. When a new, unfamiliar toy was mixed with known toys and requested by an "unheard name," Rico would select the new toy. It was also shown that he remembered this association for some time. The important point here is not whether the dog deeply understands "meaning," but that the guessing of associating labels with objects is surprisingly fast.

Core of the latest research: Dogs learning new words "just by listening to conversations"

The research that became a topic in January 2026 takes it a step further. The focus is on whether dogs can learn words even in situations where they are "not directly taught". Human children sometimes learn words by listening to conversations between adults. Can label learning dogs do the same?

In the study, 10 dogs identified as having label learning abilities were tested to learn new toy names under mainly two conditions.

• Direct teaching condition: The owner shows the toy to the dog while repeatedly saying its name

• Eavesdropping condition: The owner talks about the toy while conversing with another person, but not directly to the dog

Despite the "total exposure time" for learning being very short (divided into about 8 minutes in total) in each condition, 7 out of 10 dogs learned new labels in tests. Moreover, the accuracy rate was high from the first trial, with particularly high performance reported under the eavesdropping condition.

In another experiment, after the dog saw an object, it was placed in an unseen state (like in a bucket) before hearing the name—adding the challenge of **"shifting the timing of seeing and hearing."** Even so, many dogs were able to learn new labels, which is hard to explain by mere situational cues.

Why we can't say "dogs learn language like humans"

This is where excitement arises: "Dogs understand words, don't they?" However, researchers and commentary articles repeatedly caution on the following point.

What dogs demonstrate is likely an advanced version of associative learning of sounds (words) and objects (toys). When human children learn words, they interpret what the other person is trying to convey, read intentions and purposes, and update meanings according to the situation. For example, even with a single word like "Look!", they estimate the other person's intent while framing the world.

Dogs also have the ability to read human pointing and gaze. However, there is a cautious stance that there is not enough evidence at present to assert that the principle of "sharing intentions" underlies and governs dog communication. In other words, dogs are not acquiring "language," but rather, there are individuals with an outstanding ability to **"match names."**

Why only "genius dogs" can do it: Curiosity, concentration, inhibition

Another important point is that such abilities are extremely rare. According to reports, even globally, only a few dogs fit this category, with researchers aware of only a few dozen. Therefore, expecting "my dog can learn hundreds of words too" might be unreasonable.

So, what makes the difference? Related research points out that label learning dogs are characterized by a strong interest in objects (curiosity), sustained concentration, and the ability to control impulses (inhibition) compared to average dogs. Rather than talent, it is seen as having the "foundation" that enables learning. Additionally, a lifestyle where they regularly interact with various toys and hear names in play might also influence this.

Hints for our lives: "Environment" comes before "teaching"

The interesting part of this research is not that it serves as a bragging point for dog intelligence. Rather, it suggests how much dogs observe human life and that learning doesn't only occur through "direct training."

If you want your dog to learn words, instead of increasing short training sessions,

• consistently use the same phrases

• engage in play that facilitates the association of objects and names

• create an environment that minimizes distractions (organize choices)
  Such "lifestyle design" might be effective.

Conversely, if you don't want your dog to catch on (e.g., hospital, staying home alone, medicine), spelling might become ineffective in the future. Dogs learn not the spelling but the pattern of sounds and context. They remember "what happens next in this flow" before the words themselves.

Reactions on social media: Empathy, boasting, and retorts happening simultaneously

This topic gained traction on social media because, despite being a scientific news story, it directly connected to "common experiences with our pets." The reactions broadly fall into the following trends.

1) Stories of "I knew they were eavesdropping"

Many reports describe dogs reacting to words mentioned in conversations between owners and bringing toys from another room or sensing preparations just from the atmosphere. The research "put a name to the phenomenon," connecting the dots for many.

2) Jokes about the "spelling doesn't work" problem

Stories like "W-A-L-K doesn't work anymore" or "I tried a more difficult synonym, and they learned that too" turn the battle of wits with dogs into a humorous topic. This reaction turns the phenomenon of dogs learning "forbidden words" into laughter.

3) Comments on "the intelligence gap among dogs is huge"

There are many comments noting the wide range of intelligence even among dogs. While dreaming about genius dogs, some end with self-deprecating jokes like "I'm not even sure my dog knows what a 'ball' is." The fact that the research targets "rare individuals" provides a point of understanding.

4) The calm perspective of "But is that really language?"

On the other hand, there are a fair number of cautious views suggesting that what dogs are doing is more "label matching" than "understanding the meaning of words." While acknowledging the research's interest, these reactions maintain a distance without over-anthropomorphizing.

What makes social media interesting is that, more than just being scientifically correct, it visualizes the "everyday life with dogs" all at once. Research not only dissects the dog's brain but also serves as a mirror reflecting the "moments of learning" in our lives.

In conclusion: Dogs don't speak words, but they live in a world of words

In conclusion, dogs have not acquired language like humans. However, some dogs can remarkably associate "sounds" with "objects" and sometimes create new associations just by listening to conversations. This shows how precisely dogs, as animals that have lived alongside humans, read our attention, voices, and the flow of interactions.

Above all, this discovery teaches us that a dog's learning is not a "trick," but a product of relationships and environment. Dogs are learning about the world even when you're not directly speaking to them.

Source URL

• Phys.org (2026-01-21): "Some dogs can pick up hundreds of words—do they learn like children?" Commentary article (Rico's case, differences between dog word learning and children's language learning, notes on intention understanding, etc.)

• Phys.org (2026-01-08): "Some dogs can learn new words by eavesdropping on their owners" Research overview (experiment design of eavesdropping condition/direct teaching condition, learning of 7 out of 10 dogs, time separation task, etc.)

• EurekAlert! (2026-01-08): Peer-reviewed research news release (learning exposure time, accuracy rate, details of Experiment 2, paper title, DOI, etc.)

• University of Portsmouth (2025-11-27): Explanation of "Label Learning Dogs" characteristics (curiosity, concentration, inhibition, etc.) and international research

• Reddit (r/science relevant thread): General user experiences and jokes ("even if you spell it, they learn," "eavesdropping-like reactions," etc., used to grasp trends in SNS reactions)

• AP News: Summary of general reports including rarity (point that only a few dogs are known, etc.)