Owning a dog comes with the joy and duty of engaging with them, a vital aspect of their learning process.
Dogs, as social beings, interpret the world through visual cues and emotional scents. Their vocabulary typically develops by interacting with owners, acquiring words with significance to them, such as “walk” or “fetch.”
However, some dogs are recognized as “gifted word learners,” capable of mastering over 100 words, as revealed in a study published in the journal Science. Shany Dror, a post-doctoral researcher at E.L.T.E. University in Budapest and the Veterinary University of Vienna, expressed that these dogs seem to have an endless capacity for learning toy names.
Approximately 40 to 45 dogs worldwide were identified with the talent to learn beyond 100 words, with some comprehending between 200 and 300 toy names. Notably, a prior study showcased a dog understanding over 1,000 toy names. This proficiency is not exclusive to specific breeds, although Border Collies were predominantly represented among the gifted dogs.
“We’ve observed breeds not traditionally bred for human collaboration, like Pekingese and Shih Tzu. Even a few Yorkshire Terriers exhibited this ability,” Dror noted.
Exceptional Dogs in Canada
Miso, a seven-year-old Border Collie from Oshawa, Ont., stands out as one of these extraordinary dogs.
His owner, Veronica Suen, initially underestimated Miso’s intelligence since he was her first dog and effortlessly responded to commands like fetching specific toys.
After discovering Dror’s Genius Dog Challenge online, Suen realized Miso’s exceptional abilities and engaged him in various studies over the years. Suen now labels each toy for easy recognition, such as naming a Pikachu doll “Pikachu” and a croissant-shaped toy “Croissant.”
