Labrador’s Hilarious Reaction to Non-Food Words Delights Internet

Quick Smiles:

• A black labrador’s hilarious reaction to non-food words has captivated the internet.
• The viral video highlights how dogs process both vocabulary and intonation.
• Research suggests dogs can understand words through soundboards, beyond just body language.

A delightful video has taken the internet by storm, featuring a black labrador eagerly anticipating the mention of anything food-related.

Shared by TikTok user @mng0419, the clip humorously showcases a man pretending to order takeout, but with a twist.

As the man looks at his phone, he orders everything except food items, saying things like, “I ordered some paper towels,” and teasingly leaving sentences unfinished, such as “then I went for …” and “do you want …”

Each time, the labrador tilts its head in adorable confusion.

The text over the video reads, “When you have a black labrador that is obsessed with food, everything you say could mean dinner is coming.”

With over 889,000 views, this video has clearly struck a chord, garnering 130,000 likes and nearly 600 comments.

One amused viewer remarked, “Bro is like please say a word I know,” while another chimed in, “He’s just waiting for you to say the right thing.”

A third commenter shared a relatable experience: “Two phrases that cause chaos in my house. ‘do you wanna go’ and ‘pup cup.’”

While it’s well-known that dogs can learn words, the question remains: do they truly comprehend them?

Studies indicate that dogs use more than just vocabulary to understand their humans—they also consider tone and body language.

Research reveals that dogs interpret commands by processing both vocabulary and intonation together.

Positive phrases in a positive tone activate the reward centers in dogs’ brains more effectively than neutral or mismatched tones and words.

This suggests that dogs are attuned to both the content and the delivery of speech.

Moreover, a recent study found that dogs can associate soundboard-recorded words with real-world outcomes.

This research explored whether dogs could use Augmentative Interspecies Communication (AIC) devices, like soundboards, to understand and respond to specific words related to food, play, and going outside.

The study involved two experiments: one conducted by researchers and another by citizen scientists, both following the same procedure.

It also examined whether dogs’ responses varied based on who presented the word and how it was communicated.

The findings revealed that dogs trained with soundboards responded accurately to words like play and outside, regardless of whether the words were spoken, triggered by their owners, or activated by an unfamiliar person.

This suggests that dogs can grasp the meaning of words themselves, not just through their owners’ body language or presence.

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