A new study, conducted by researchers affiliated to the Neuroethology of Communication Lab at Hungary’s Eötvös Loránd University, and published in Current Biology on March 22, shows how dogs can understand object words, which is an important feature of human language faculty. 

The experiment started with 27 dogs who, according to their owners, had some experience with object words. The dogs were of a variety of breeds, including border collies, Akita Inu, Hungarian vizsla, and more. Before the experiment, the researchers noted five objects the dogs’ owners said their dogs knew. Then they inserted words related to those objects in sentences and had the owners record speaking them. During the experiment, the researchers first played the recording with the object word, then the owner presented either the matching object or a different one. Since several factors can confuse the dogs here, the team presented the words and objects in different combinations. 

The team tracked the dogs’ brain activity using electrodes stuck to the head that picked up the brain’s electrical signals. They recorded the ebb and flow of these signals as the team showed the dogs matching and mixed-up words and objects. 

Scientists noted a signal in the front part of the canine brains when presented with mismatching object words. This signal was similar to what is seen in a human brain when it sees or hears something unexpected. The signal shows up about 400 milliseconds after human brains see or hear the incongruency, producing an observable pattern. 

The parallel signal in canine brains showed up in the range of 206-606 milliseconds. Their brains reacted even quicker to words they were more familiar with (which were submitted by the owners). 

The results provide first neural evidence for object word knowledge in non-human animals, researchers said.