A recent study show’s how man’s best friend may be more human-like than we thought.
According to the journal Current Biology, dogs are able to read our “communicative intent”, or our intention to interact with them via our faces. That ability is something that infants can do, specifically babies around six months old.
The study shows how dogs don’t just rely on verbal cues to ascertain what humans want. They also use eye contact to anticipate human desires.
“Dogs are receptive to human communication in a manner that was previously attributed only to humans,” says one of the study’s co-authors, Jozsef Topal of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. “Dogs have evolved to sharing their lives with humans,” he says. “And they gained new skills that support their social interaction with humans.”
Read more on USA Today: Like babies, dogs pick up on human intent
I’m so glad to see studies like these being done, because I’m convinced that Riley knows what I’m saying. As pet parents we use the same commands over and over, so it’s easy for them to pick up the commands
Some phrases Riley knows:
Are you hungry?
Do you need to go outside?
Do you want to go for a walk?
Want to go for a ride?
Where’s you ball? Go get your ball?
Want a cookie?
Sit. Lay down. Roll over.
You’re going to go in the bathroom! (That’s his time out place)
The list could go on, as I’m sure it could for most of you reading this, but the bottom line is: keep up the chatter, they really do know what you’re saying!
