NBC reports that researchers in Hungary have found that dogs can recognize when someone is speaking their owner's native language or a foreign one.
According to brain scans from 18 dogs, different areas of the dogs' brains would light up depending on whether the dog heard a familiar or foreign language.
"Dogs are really good in the human environment. We found that they know more than I expected about human language." Laura Cuaya, a postdoctoral researcher at the Neuroethology of Communication Lab at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, via NBC.
"Certainly, this ability to be constant social learners gives them an advantage as a species: it gives them a better understanding of their environment." Laura Cuaya, a postdoctoral researcher at the Neuroethology of Communication Lab at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, via NBC.
According to NBC, Cuaya said that dogs seem to recognize their owner's native language without "explicit training."
"I think this reflects how much dogs are tuned to humans. As many owners already know, dogs are social beings interested in what is happening in their social world." Laura Cuaya, a postdoctoral researcher
at the Neuroethology of Communication Lab at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, via NBC.
The study reportedly included six border collies, two Australian shepherds, a labradoodle, a cocker spaniel and three mixed breed dogs.
16 of the dogs' native language was Hungarian, while the other two were familiar with Spanish.
The dogs were read excerpts from Chapter 21 of 'The Little Prince' while in an MRI scanner.
The report was published in NeuroImage.