When dogs and humans find a common language

Humans and dogs have been birds of a feather for millennia. But how can such distant species understand each other? A recent study published in PLOS Biology by researchers from the University of Geneva and the Hearing Institute, an Institut Pasteur Center, reveals that the pair meets halfway between their differences to communicate together. From their findings, the researchers hypothesize that dogs and humans have coadapted to communicate with each other. Comparison with other canids not domesticated by humans, such as wolves, would reveal which of the dog's linguistic abilities are due to genetics and which are due to socialization.

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