Posted on 08/30/2016 5:17:09 PM PDT by JimSEA
Dogs have the ability to distinguish vocabulary words and the intonation of human speech through brain regions similar to those that humans use, a new study reports.
Attila Andics et al. note that vocabulary learning "does not appear to be a uniquely human capacity that follows from the emergence of language, but rather a more ancient function that can be exploited to link arbitrary sound sequences to meanings."
Words are the basic building blocks of human languages, but they are hardly ever found in nonhuman vocal communications. Intonation is another way that information is conveyed through speech, where, for example, praises tend to be conveyed with higher and more varying pitch. Humans understand speech through both vocabulary and intonation.
Here, Andics and colleagues explored whether dogs also depend on both mechanisms. Dogs were exposed to recordings of their trainers' voices as the trainers spoke to them using multiple combinations of vocabulary and intonation, in both praising and neutral ways.
(Excerpt) Read more at sciencedaily.com ...
I trained my golden to do quite a few different things, most notably opening and closing doors so he could go out on his own. Say bath or medicine and under the bed he went.
It will soon be no go zones for dogs due to muzzie sensibilities.
Mine understand words. Out, walk, ride, go, they’ll grab their leash in their mouth and run to the door. Other words understood, nap, sleep, they go to their beds. Ball, toy, frisbee, they get excited and go get them. Bath, the water breed jumps in the tub. The hound will slink off and hide.
Our Pomeranian Mix Nemo can hear high pitch sounds perfectly(Good thing I talk loud) otherwise his hearing isnt so good..but he understands everything, especially food, heck he will come and start barking when its time for his breakfast/lunch/dinner..I think they have clocks in their tummies lol
the question has never been whether dogs and cats understand humans or not. they do. in spades.
the question is whether humans can learn to understand dogs and cats (or whether they’re just too damned dumb to learn how to communicate with such higher-level life forms?)
So do cats. They just don’t care what you think.
I used to think I was hearing voices, but then I realized it was just the dog talking.
My two are not the brightest but they certainly understand both phrases and intonation.
For example, if I ask, “What do you want?”, they stop what they are doing, look at ‘dad’ and raise their ears in rapt attention. If I ask, “Do you want to go out?”, they immediately start barking and explode toward the door.
The younger dog does not especially like the outdoors and is soon scratching at the door to get in. I let her in then ask her mother, now lying down by the door, if she wants in. I get such a sad, disappointed look from her, so I close the door. About 30 seconds later, I hear her excited bark, begging to come in. They have me well trained!
OMG those are hilarious!
Thanks!!
Oh sure. Rub it in that your dog can open doors.
Well, my dogs can................
Just a minute..............
I’ll think of something............
OK.
My dogs can sleep. They are like world champion sleepers.
I suppose I could train them to open doors.
I taught them how to shoot pool.
But I don’t want my dogs hanging out in bars. They’re a bunch of damn cheats at billiards.
No, I won’t be teaching my dogs to open doors. They’d all be at the neighbor’s house trying to borrow a cup of pork chops.
My neighbor and I will do some porch sittin’ in the evenings. His dog will look up the street 3-5 minutes before his wife pulls up. He can hear her car from miles away. I wish The Good Lord had given them longer lifespans.
They sense our moods without any verbal cues.
Ahh, those are GIFS are so cool. Thanks for the chuckle.
Hell, my shepherd is hooked on phonics. Some words cannot even be spelled in front of him. He learned b a t h long ago lol.
My Briard was stunner! But not as fas this!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDf9lpbmaZ8&feature=youtu.be
I think I understand your post.
My aunt went into her home office to do some work. Realizing she had left her pack of cigarettes in the kitchen she jokingly said to her standard poodle “Michelle, would you go get my cigarettes?” She didn’t notice that Michelle left the room but it about floored her when she came back and put her pack of cigs in her lap.
They have to understand the words which requires learning definitions by experience. Of course they don’t understand words at first hearing.
Love the dog bath photos, especially the last one.
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