Question

can you teach dogs to talk with soundboards? these popular devices feature buttons that play words such as \outside\ and \food\ that dogs can press to signal what they want. while the soundboards are very popular with people, some experts are skeptical of the buttons effectiveness with canines, arguing that dogs are not fully communicating; they are merely reacting to cues from their owners or memorizing connections between the buttons locations and certain consequences (such as tapping on the left - most button to get food). however, a 2024 university of california san diego study showed that many button - trained dogs actually do comprehend specific words. the researchers found that the dogs responded to key words with the intended behavior (such as hearing the word \play\ and then picking up a toy), regardless of whether the words came from the buttons, owners, or unfamiliar guests. future research will be needed to help scientists better understand exactly how language processing occurs in dogs. dogs therefore appear to learn language, recognizing specific words rather than just reacting to humans body movements or the locations of the buttons. thus, it may eventually become possible for dog owners to stop using verbal cues entirely and, instead, only use physical gestures. thus, dogs likely need to receive regular rewards, such as snacks, to help them use the soundboards with more accuracy.

Explanation:

The 2024 study showed dogs responded to key words with intended behavior regardless of the source (buttons, owners, guests), countering skepticism that they merely react to cues or memorize button locations. The blank should summarize this conclusion. The first option states dogs learn language by recognizing specific words, aligning with the study's findings.

Answer:

Dogs therefore appear to learn language, recognizing specific words rather than just reacting to humans' body movements or the locations of the buttons.