For years, researchers have known that young children pick up words just by being around conversation. Toddlers do not need ...

We’ve all had that moment where we’re mid-conversation and suddenly our dog perks up at a single word, and it's usually one of the buzz words like “walk,” “treat,” or “ball.” But according to new ...

This is not comparable to word learning in children. By around age two, typical English-speaking children learn approximately ...

Researchers have identified that some dogs are "gifted word learners” — pups who know the names of more than 100 toys. In fact, these dogs can learn new words just by eavesdropping. And even if your ...

According to a new study, your dog may learn language similar to how your toddler does, giving the term "fur baby" a whole ...

"Under the right conditions, some dogs present behaviors strikingly similar to those of young children," lead scientist, Dr. Shany Dror, said Irene Hewlett ; Tres Hanley Some dogs have the ability to ...

Gifted word learner dogs seem capable of eavesdropping about as well as 18-month-old toddlers, the study researchers say. Reading time 4 minutes Dogs might have more tricks up their furry sleeves than ...

Researcher Jack Terwilliger looks at a video feed in his lab — a cozy room with a couple of tables and computers. He’s not just watching animal videos for amusement but examining a unique method to ...

Spelling F-O-O-D or O-U-T might only get you so far around your dog if he or she is considered a Gifted Word Learner (GWL). Researchers have just figured out that even when you're not talking to them ...

Premieres Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026 at 9 p.m. on KPBS TV / Stream with KPBS+. Can dogs understand what we say—and talk back?

To what extent are dogs really paying attention to our conversations? Quite a bit, actually.