For years, researchers have known that young children pick up words just by being around conversation. Toddlers do not need lessons or direct instruction. They listen, watch, and slowly connect sounds ...

Long recognized as a skill used by toddlers who are learning to understand language, scientists have discovered that a rare subset of “genius dogs” has also mastered the art of eavesdropping to decode ...

From recognizing our emotions to making sense of the world around them, dogs are proving to be even more complex thinkers ...

If you've ever had to spell out words like W-A-L-K or T-R-E-A-T around a dog, you know that some dogs listen in to humans' chitchat and can pick out certain key words. Well, it turns out that some ...

What makes a dog able to learn? New research suggests that it may be the gift of confusion. Let me unpack that. My dog, Samson, is about 1.5 years old. Like most dogs, he knows that words mean things.

Researchers at Duke University set out to study dogs' intelligence, finding insights into how dogs learn, their individual strengths, and how the species is evolving to become even better companions ...

People often think play is a simple way to burn off a dog’s extra energy. A quick game of fetch in the yard or tug-of-war in the living room is more than just fun. One of the most important things we ...