Dogs Really Do Understand The Words in Those Viral Videos, Study Confirms

Sciencealert ^ | 30 August 2024 | JESS COCKERILL

[ChicagoConservative27]

If you've been on Instagram or TikTok recently, you've likely come across those viral videos of dogs hitting soundboard buttons while their proud owners feign exasperation at their furry friend's seemingly eloquent demands.

Who wouldn't want to give their beloved pet the opportunity to talk back in a way we can understand?

Skeptics such as this biologist have unsurprisingly raised their eyebrows at this fad, which has owners claiming their dogs can use the soundboards to form near-sentences asking for food, requesting help, raising alerts, and even questioning their mirror reflection.

[Sarah Barracuda]

When we tell our husky simmie are you hungry he comes running same with do you want to go outside

[Beowulf9]

🥰

[Rockingham]

I am in similar circumstances. Although not cat people, when our neighbor died suddenly, out of pity, my brother and I began feeding his black and white tuxedo pattern cat. After spending a year in a fearful and feral condition in our yard, the cat now lives indoors, spoiled rotten.

The cat understands a half dozen words -- and even says "out" when he wants to go outdoors, which he prefers to the litter box. I am now pro-cat, doting on the little fur ball and buying absurdly expensive premium cat food and treats. The cat even watches TV, with a preference for action and nature documentaries.

[xkaydet65]

Are you sure the cat isn’t the famous Milo of Facebook fame?😉

[Rockingham]

Different coloration, but I recognize similarities in their behavior.

[Beowulf9]

Aww. A nice story, cat saved ❤️

[ptsal]

Bkmk

[Rockingham]

Contrary to what I expected, our rescue cat is sweet-tempered and people-oriented. I am a cat person now.

[The Sentient Sheep]

Ya, just keep feeding them treats, the more delicious...the better. All dogs are geniuses when it comes to food. My dogs will do my taxes and investment strategy for treats...

[ThanhPhero]

The 18 pound half poodle half dachshund I had for 15 years seemed very intelligent One time she was trying to get me to let her out and I was ignoring her. I saw her draw herself up and take a deep breath and come out with a modulated wail I had never heard before. I looked up and she turned toward the door. I took her out. After that she would do various versions of that when she wanted something. It is as if she tried to make the same sort of sounds we make, tried to "talk" as it were. I also watched her watching the cat stalk and catch a bird several times then saw her imitate the cat's movements and she stalked and caught a bird. Never did it again. Once she scoped out all four doors(they were all open) and check where everyone in the family was before she ran into he kitchen and grabbed the 4 year old's sandwich which the kid had left on a chair.
Before her I had another dog that was about the same size that never exhibited anything I would call intelligent beyond what normally is sufficient for a dog. Both were great because they would ride with me for long distances on my motorcycle.

[lepton]

There is a wide variability in the intelligence of dogs. I know of dogs that clearly had vocabularies of at least a couple of dozen words, including adjectives. I know of others that knew only their name...probably.

[mairdie]

Loving this thread. Thank all of you.

[Organic Panic]

Not sure about any tiktok fads but having raised dogs just about my whole life we understand their language and they understand ours better than some skeptical biologist knows.

[Does so]

As a biologist by inclination and education—and having serially-owned eight Dachshunds I agree with you.

I trained my dogs to stop barking.

They’d be sunning behind a screen door when people would pass by. Of course, all three would suddenly start barking loudly.

I’d launch a magazine in the air behind the three of them. Before it hit the floor, I’d yell, “QUIET!”. Startled, they’d instantly stop barking. That is, except for one male who continued to gaze intently at the intruders, and would utter, “Mumpht”.

(Getting the last “word”). ;)

[FLT-bird]

My dogs definitely understand several words such as

ball, outside, dinner, food, doggy park, play etc and they know their names.

[RoosterRedux]

Having had relationships with many animals over the years, I have concluded that they are very intelligent (but not always in ways that make sense to humans).

BTW, corvids (crows, jays, magpies) are thought to be as intelligent as a 5-7 year old human. And that doesn't even address the issue of maturity (and I raise the issue of maturity to say that I think my own intelligence declined dramatically when my male hormones kicked in during my high school years).

[FLT-bird]

Oh no doubt they understand tone and expressions. They are absolute masters at reading body language. Somehow my 7 year old Lab knows the exact nanosecond I’ve decided to take him outside. He knows it before I even move a muscle. The same is true for getting his dinner or otherwise getting him something he wants. Obviously I must be giving off some kind of sign even if I don’t know exactly what it is. He sure knows.

[Candor7]

Bunny has an IQ that is higher than Walz’s and Kamala put together..

Why does Walz keep sticking his foot in his mouth? Bunny doesn’t do that !

Why does Kamala Bark laugh continuously..Bunny doesn’t do that!

BUNNY FOR PREZ !

All we need is the MSM on Bunny’s side.

[Candor7]

Dogs can be pretty bright if they work for you.

My dog would salivate if I spoke one of these words:

“icecream.” ( a special treat)

“beer” ( he loved a cup of beer after hunting game when it was wet and cold.) He would lap it up and immediately hit the sack for a long sleep.

He also developed a distatse for men in uniform becaus of the mailman. He thought anyone in a uniform was the mailman....led to a few situations with border officers when crossing into Canada ......He would go all rowsey bowsey.

[Vaduz]

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