Is Your Dog Bilingual?

A study by Hungarian researchers found that dogs can distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar languages, marking the first evidence of a nonhuman brain differentiating languages. Using fMRI, researchers observed distinct brain activity patterns in dogs when exposed to different languages. Older dogs showed more distinct patterns, suggesting they improve language recognition over time. The study opens avenues for exploring speech perception evolution in animals.

What implications do the study's findings have for understanding language perception in nonhuman animals?

What future research directions do the authors hope to pursue based on their findings?