Dogs eavesdrop, learn new words

Eavesdropping is also important in human development, as children under the age of 2 often learn new words simply by listening to others speak.

- AP

Dogs are known for learning action commands such as "sit" and "stay," but most are not very good at remembering the names of objects like toys.

Only a small group of unusually gifted dogs can remember the names of hundreds of toys, and scientists are still trying to understand why.

Now, new research shows that these special dogs can push their abilities even further. Scientists have found that some dogs can learn the names of new objects simply by listening to their owners talk without being directly taught.