![]() ![]() The scientists monitored the dogs’ brain activity while speaking to them. Researchers trained dogs to lie in an MRI machine. Some scientists believe that dogs understand the actual meaning of many words unrelated to the tone in which they are delivered. Even without an extensive vocabulary, they make us understand their whines, cries, and coos especially when combined with their own special body language. They may not be verbal creatures, but they manage to “speak” back to us. And if you say those words with enthusiasm in a sweet voice, your dog will bolt for the front door! Body language, tone, and words are all involved in effective canine communication.ĭespite a limited vocabulary, dogs and babies communicate with us. While the dog may not understand every word in the sentence, he gets “walk”. They feel that saying “trees, birds, grass, walk” invokes the same meaning as, “let’s go for a walk”. "Body language, tone, and words are all involved in effective canine communication."Įven though many scientists agree that dogs understand specific words, some believe they don’t comprehend full sentences. Eventually the little human understands that this furry creature is called “dog”. It’s also why we say “dog” to our baby while pointing to the dog. Eventually he associates the word with the action. That’s why we say, “Sit” over and over while prompting the dog to actually sit. Do they really know the difference between “yes” and “no” or do they respond to our commanding tone of voice and anxious body language?Ĭould it be a combination of learned vocabulary and observation of body language and tone? With repetition, both dogs and babies will associate certain words with certain objects or actions. Both a dog and a human baby quickly grasp the meaning of “NO!” when grabbing a crumb from the floor and trying to pop it in their mouths. In fact, dogs may have basically the same cognitive ability as a 6-12-month-old human infant. Making these observations led many scientists to feel that dogs respond much like human infants in understanding our language. If you utter those very same words in a gruff voice with a scowl on your face, he may cower and whine. ![]() If you smile and excitedly say “Let’s go for a walk!”, your dog will likely wag his tail and prance around enthusiastically. "Some people think how we say something can be more important than what we say." They combine all of these observations to determine our meaning. They focus on us and observe our physical clues to determine what we want them to do or not do. They watch our facial expressions, posture, and body movements. Dogs read more into our tone and body language than our actual words. Some people think how we say something can be more important than what we say. There are debates regarding just how much each factor (what we say and how we say it) plays in canine communication. Dogs interpret human spoken language as well as human body language in their effort to understand us. How we say it impacts how much a dog comprehends. Our dogs may get what we say, but what we say is only part of the equation. It appears that they understand the words sit, walk, and eat leading us to believe that dogs learn to associate specific words with specific actions or objects. Say, “It’s time to eat” and he’ll head for the food bowl. Say “Let’s go for a walk” and he’ll run to the door and grab his leash. Say, “ Sit” and your dog will collapse upon his haunches. Most dog owners will agree that their dogs understand familiar words. Do they also understand when we talk to other people? Do they grasp our private telephone conversations? Do they comprehend our dinner table discussions? Are our dogs eavesdropping on us? Our faithful companions respond when we speak directly to them. ![]()
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