From simple behavioural tests to EEG measurements: Studying linguistic competence in dogs

Ujfalussy, Dorottya Júlia and Gergely, Anna and Vargáné Kis, Anna and Bolló, Henrietta and Topál, József (2025) From simple behavioural tests to EEG measurements: Studying linguistic competence in dogs. APPLIED ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR SCIENCE, 285. No. 106594. ISSN 0168-1591

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Abstract

This critical review examines non-human manifestations of linguistic competence and its precursors, with a focus on findings from studies on domestic dogs (Canis familiaris). Previous research – including both theoretical reviews and empirical studies – has widely demonstrated that the domestic dog serves as an ideal natural model for studying a broad range of cognitive and behavioural traits shared with humans. Studies also indicate that dogs can interpret human communication cues in a remarkably child-like manner; they possess functionally human-analogous, voice-sensitive cortical regions and show specific neural responses to speech. Moreover, some dogs show evidence of learning word-object associations in ways unprecedented among nonhuman species. Together, these findings strongly support the translational value of dog-human comparisons for exploring the evolution of skills related to faculties of language and suggest that dogs may serve as models for studying natural variability in children’s world learning abilities.

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