Dogs' Brains Can Segment Human Speech Into Words, Study Finds

A peer-reviewed study by Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, published in Science, found that dogs process continuous human speech much like humans, showing a preference for consonant-based word patterns. Researchers detected a brain response about 400 milliseconds after each word began, even in dogs raised on the street or in shelters, suggesting this ability may arise from simple pattern learning rather than pre-wired language mechanisms.