* Tone of voice: Dogs are very sensitive to the tone of our voice. They can tell if we're happy, angry, or sad by the way we speak.
* Body language: Dogs pay attention to our body language, such as facial expressions and hand gestures.
* Context: Dogs learn to associate words with specific actions and situations. For example, they might learn that "walkies" means they're going outside, or that "treat" means they're getting a yummy snack.
So, while dogs don't understand the *meaning* of individual words like "hamburger" or "philosophy," they can understand what we mean by *how* we say things and by the context of the situation.
Here's a good way to think about it:
Imagine you're learning a new language. You might not understand every word, but you can still pick up on the general meaning by paying attention to the speaker's tone and body language. That's similar to how dogs learn from us.
In summary:
* Dogs don't understand human language like we do.
* They are incredibly good at picking up on cues like tone of voice, body language, and context.
* They can learn to associate certain words with specific actions and situations.