Shany Dror
Because unlike other animals used earlier to study language, like dolphins or parrots, dogs were raised in our environment, we need to understand which experiences have shaped our language — and that is where dogs come into the picture. It’s not due to training — some of that just depends on your dog hanging out with you.
Sitting beside delicate pink orchids in gleaming brass pots, Dror says, ‘Humans are always interested in what makes us ‘human’ — why are we so different from other animals? Dror says, ‘Through my research, I noticed dogs pay a lot of attention to what their owners are saying and doing — owners recounted several indicative stories. Scientists have found gifted dogs can learn entire ‘label’ words in human languages, often simply by ‘eavesdropping’ on people, as Shany Dror, cognitive researcher, tells TE. In the past, people thought only humans could use tools but research by Jane Goodall showed how other species also make and deploy tools. Now, several researchers feel what makes us human is our ability to use language. In nature, we see several intricate communication systems — but none is as complex as human language. Once, one was pondering aloud over ordering a pizza — their dog came straight into the living room, holding up its toy named ‘Pizza’. Another was talking about a bag on the phone and her dog, who has a toy called ‘Bag’, immediately brought it to her. This deepened my curiosity about how closely dogs watch and hear their owners and interpret their world. So, is it then fair to assume that memory, application and intelligence, our species’ much-vaunted gifts, are not only human — and are widely found in other species? Dror replies, ‘The term ‘intelligence’ includes different things. When we talk about animals, usually we don’t talk about general intelligence but specific things, like social cognitive abilities. Dogs are extremely good at this, being very perceptive at understanding social communication. They are not as good at, say, spatial intelligence or navigating in space — many of us know that moment when your dog is carrying a stick around in its mouth and gets stuck in a door and can’t pass. In contrast, elephants and parrots have very good spatial intelligence. Dror emphasises, ‘It’s important to note every animal has its own specialisation — humans are terrible at echolocating. A bat would be like, ‘Oh my God, they’re so stupid at that! Intelligence is both natural and highly specific.’
