Dogs may actually understand words for their favorite toys, study shows

Many dog owners believe their pets understand and respond not only to commands such as "sit" and "stay," but also to words referring to their favorite objects. "Bring me your ball" will often result in exactly that.

But science has had trouble determining whether dogs and other animals genuinely activate a mental image in their minds when they hear the name of an object, something that would suggest a deeper grasp of language, similar to the kind that humans have.

A new study in Hungary has found that beyond being able to respond to commands like "roll over," dogs can learn to associate words with specific objects — a relationship with language called referential understanding that had been unproven in dogs until now.

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