Intro Teaser Dog Communication

In a recently published study conducted in Budapest, researchers found that dogs understand more than previously thought. The study involved measuring brain activity in dogs while communicating with them. The results suggest that dogs can comprehend human speech. Unlike primates, who need to be taught the meaning of pointing, dogs immediately understand when humans point. The study has been widely published and opens up endless possibilities for further research. It's important to be mindful of what we say around our pets, as they may be listening. Three, two, one. Does your dog or cat know what you're saying when you talk to them? Do they look at you and then do they kind of turn their head sideways if they say, what the heck do you want this time? Now, I know for sure my dog Mabel, when I'm talking to her, yes, I talk to her all the time. She just looks at me, and if I could read her mind, I guarantee she's saying something like here he goes again. But really, what if we could really tell if our pets knew what we were saying? In today's episode, Mariana Boros and Laila Majari, they join me. They're co-authors in a recently published paper conducted in Budapest, Hungary. This study was all based on the communication in dogs. Now, you may ask, how can you tell what they actually understand? Well, let's think about this. Let's try this one. Ask a dog to sit still for an hour, measure their brain activity with an EEG when we're communicating with them. Guess what? They did exactly that. Now, visualize it kind of. I think it's something like a lie detector. The amazing thing is, though, the results they found, dogs understand way more than what was thought. Now, here's a side note, and I know this one. Our dogs totally understand what we say, right? I know mine do. Now, the study's been published worldwide, and the possibilities are endless. Did you know that dogs immediately know what we mean when we're actually pointing? Now, I want you to think about primates. Now, we always hear they're our closest cousins, right? But do you know they actually have to be taught what pointing means? Now, I can't wait for you to meet these amazing women and what they've discovered, and what more this is leading to. Lastly, I want you to pay attention to this. Be really careful what you're saying around your pets. They may just be listening.