Dogs understand words. This has been proven by the research of scientists and our editorial colleague's dog

We understand each other without words, but with their help. Guardians know their dogs well, as scientists from Hungary have now demonstrated. Dogs can not only recognize words, but can identify them with specific objects. Like Chili, “Facts of the World” reporter Justyna Zuber's dog.

18 dogs participated in the study in Budapest. Each animal was attached to an electroencephalograph, which measured electrical potentials recorded from the surface of the head after appropriate stimulation.

During the study, the caregiver said the name and showed the associated familiar object, and the researchers tested which parts of the brain were stimulated during this time. In subsequent trials, when the caregiver only mentions the name without showing the object, the same areas of the brain are still activated. – The dogs came to the lab with their toys. During the test, the owner showed other objects and then put them away. This is, of course, frustrating. You see your favorite ball, so you want to play with it, but the owner hides it again and tells you to sit quietly. Dogs should be trained for this exercise, especially if the owner is not near them, but behind a glass wall – says researcher and co-author of the project Mariana Boros.

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Most important, however, was the last stage of the experiment, when the caregiver mentioned a familiar name but showed an object that did not match. Brain activity proves dogs aren't fooled. They know that the name does not match the substance.

– If the so-called mental representation does not match the object seen, the dog's brain works like the human mind. Dogs understand that words represent objects. They can think abstractly to understand that a word refers to something external, physical. As in humans, under the influence of a word, a mental representation is triggered in their brain, which does not require any context – explains Boros. Scientists still want to verify whether dogs can generalize concepts. For example, do they only identify the word “ball” with a familiar, chewy toy or any round object? It is not known what is the human contribution. Dogs began to accompany people permanently about 30,000 years ago.

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In “The Guardian” Dr. We can read Holly Root-Gutteridge's statement: ''In my opinion, these abilities of the dog's brain are not the result of the domestication process. They started earlier. This, in turn, means that other mammals can also recognize an object by a name. This is a new paradigm in the study of language development.” Another conclusion emerges from the research. Often, if the dog does not bring the appropriate toy, it is not because he does not understand us. He ignores the command. He is not interested in playing.