Does your dog understand when you say 'fetch the ball'? A new study in Hungary says yes

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Many dog owners believe their pets understand and respond not only to commands such as “sit” and “stay,” but also to words referring to their favorite objects. “Bring me your ball” will often result in exactly that.

But science has had trouble determining whether dogs and other animals genuinely activate a mental image in their minds when they hear the name of an object, something that would suggest a deeper grasp of language, similar to the kind that humans have.

A new study in Hungary has found that beyond being able to respond to commands like “roll over,” dogs can learn to associate words with specific objects — a relationship with language called referential understanding that had been unproven in dogs until now.

"When we are talking about objects, objects are external to the dogs, and dogs have to learn that words refer, they stand for something that is external to them,” said Marianna Boros, a cognitive neuroscientist and co-lead author of the study conducted by the Department of Ethology of the Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest.

The study, which has been peer reviewed, was published last Friday in the science journal “Current Biology.” It involved 18 dogs and a non-invasive EEG procedure using electrodes attached to dogs' heads to measure brain activity and register brain waves.

Dog owners participating in the study would play an audio clip in which they said the name of their dog's toy — like “ball” or “frisbee” — and then they would show the dog an object. The researchers measured the dogs' brain activity when the object in the recording matched the object that was displayed, and also when it differed.

"We expected that if a dog really understands the meaning of the object's word, it will expect to see that object. And if the owner shows a different one, there will be a so-called surprise reaction in the brain," Boros said. “And this is exactly what we found.”

The study found a different brain pattern when the dogs were shown an object that matched the word, compared to when it didn't — suggesting the animals conjured a mental image of an object based on hearing the word for it.

Lilla Magyari, also a cognitive neuroscientist and co-lead author of the study, said that while other animals have been shown to have some degree of referential understanding of language, those animals have typically been highly trained to do so.

In dogs, she said, the findings show that such capacities appear to be inborn and require no special training or talent.

The study supports "theories of language evolution which actually say that referential understanding is not necessarily unique to humans,” added Magyari, who is also an associate professor at the University of Stavanger in Norway.

While the study has received praise, some experts have expressed doubts about its findings. Behavioral scientist and professor of psychology at Arizona State University, Clive Wynne, said in a post on Facebook that he believes that all the study shows is that dogs respond to stimuli — but that they don’t actually understand the meaning of specific words.

Scientists believe the first dogs began to be domesticated by humans up to 30,000 years ago, and have lived closely alongside us ever since.

But whether dogs acquired their apparent capacity to understand referential language during that evolution remains unclear.

Budapest resident Emese Doroszlai said during a walk with her dog in a city park on Wednesday that she usually teaches him commands for specific actions.

When told about the study, she said she hasn’t given much thought to building her dog’s vocabulary or teaching him names for objects.

But, she said, maybe the results of the study would change that.

Houdini, a border collie plays with his frisbee at the City Park in Budapest, Hungary, on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. A new study in Hungary has found that beyond being able to learn how to perform commands, dogs can learn to associate words with specific objects — a relationship with language called referential understanding that had been unproven until now. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

The researchers measure the dogs' brain activity during an experiment at the department of Ethology of the Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary, on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. A new study in Hungary has found that beyond being able to learn how to perform commands, dogs can learn to associate words with specific objects — a relationship with language called referential understanding that had been unproven until now. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

A dog looks at his ball at the City Park in Budapest, Hungary, on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. A new study in Hungary has found that beyond being able to learn how to perform commands, dogs can learn to associate words with specific objects — a relationship with language called referential understanding that had been unproven until now. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

Rohan, the border collie, reacts to the collar that her owner is showing during an experiment at the department of Ethology of the Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary, on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. A new study in Hungary has found that beyond being able to learn how to perform commands, dogs can learn to associate words with specific objects — a relationship with language called referential understanding that had been unproven until now. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

A dog plays with his ball at the City Park in Budapest, Hungary, on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. A new study in Hungary has found that beyond being able to learn how to perform commands, dogs can learn to associate words with specific objects — a relationship with language called referential understanding that had been unproven until now. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

A diagram shows the placement of the electrodes during an experiment at the department of Ethology of the Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary, on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. A new study in Hungary has found that beyond being able to learn how to perform commands, dogs can learn to associate words with specific objects — a relationship with language called referential understanding that had been unproven until now. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

Researchers test Rohan, a border collie with her owner Paula Perez, during an experiment at the department of Ethology of the Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary, on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. A new study in Hungary has found that beyond being able to learn how to perform commands, dogs can learn to associate words with specific objects — a relationship with language called referential understanding that had been unproven until now. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

Researcher Marianna Boros, left, attached electrodes to the head of Cuki the dog, during an experiment at the department of Ethology of the Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary, on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. A new study in Hungary has found that beyond being able to learn how to perform commands, dogs can learn to associate words with specific objects — a relationship with language called referential understanding that had been unproven until now. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

Rohan, the border collie has electrodes attached to his head during an experiment at the department of Ethology of the Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary, on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. A new study in Hungary has found that beyond being able to learn how to perform commands, dogs can learn to associate words with specific objects — a relationship with language called referential understanding that had been unproven until now. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

Researcher Marianna Boros attaches electrodes to the head of Cuki, with during an experiment at the department of Ethology of the Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary, on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. A new study in Hungary has found that beyond being able to learn how to perform commands, dogs can learn to associate words with specific objects — a relationship with language called referential understanding that had been unproven until now. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP) — Donald Trump on Wednesday is using a one-day break from his hush money trial to rally voters in the battleground states of Wisconsin and Michigan, a day after he was held in contempt of court and threatened with jail time for violating a gag order.

His remarks are being closely watched after he received a $9,000 fine for making public statements about people connected to the case. In imposing the fine for posts on Trump's Truth Social account and campaign website, Judge Juan M. Merchan said that if Trump continued to violate his orders, he “will impose an incarceratory punishment.”

The former president is trying to achieve a balancing act unprecedented in American history by running for a second term as the presumptive Republican nominee while also fighting felony charges in New York. Trump frequently goes after Merchan, prosecutors and potential witnesses at his rallies and on social media, attack lines that play well with his supporters but that have potentially put him in further legal jeopardy.

Trump insists he is merely exercising his free speech rights, but the offending posts from his Truth Social account and campaign website were taken down. Merchan is weighing other alleged gag-order violations by Trump and will hear arguments on Thursday.

Trump appeared frustrated after the ninth day of the trial came to an end, saying he should be out in Georgia and New Hampshire instead of sitting in court.

“They don’t want me on the campaign trail,” he told reporters.

Trump has often called this case and other criminal cases against him “election interference,” saying they keep him from campaigning for the presidential election in November.

The gag order bars him from making public statements about witnesses, jurors and some others connected to his hush money case.

Supporters at Trump’s event in Wisconsin said he was being unfairly prosecuted, contending the trial and gag order were designed to distract him .

“It’s a trial looking for a crime,” said Ray Hanson, of Hartford. Hanson said he expected Trump’s lawyers would “keep him in line” so he doesn’t violate the gag order, as much as he likely wants to talk about the trial.

Manhattan prosecutors have argued Trump and his associates took part in an illegal scheme to influence the 2016 presidential campaign by purchasing and then burying negative stories. He has pleaded not guilty.

Trump’s visits to Wisconsin and Michigan mark his second trip to the swing states in just a month. For the previous rallies, the former president largely focused on immigration, referring to people who are in the U.S. illegally and who are suspected of crimes as “animals.”

Meanwhile, Democrats are hoping to remind voters ahead of these visits about Trump's position on abortion, which Trump has been openly concerned about being a political liability for him and Republicans.

Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan met on Wednesday with half a dozen women, including a family doctor, and warned that a second Trump term would threaten abortion rights even in her state, which enshrined those rights in its state constitution after the Supreme Court overturned national rights to the procedure.

Whitmer appeared with the women at a bookstore in Flint surrounded by signs that read “Stop Trump’s Attacks on Health Care” and “Stop Trump’s Abortion Ban.” She told reporters not to believe Trump’s contention in a Time Magazine interview that Republicans would never have enough votes in the U.S. Senate to pass a national abortion ban.

“We cannot trust anything that Donald Trump says when it comes to abortion. So no one should take any comfort in the fact that, yes, he wants an abortion ban, but he won’t get it because he doesn’t think we’ll have 60 votes in the Senate. Baloney,” she said. “No one would have imagined we’d be here in this moment.”

Wisconsin and Michigan are among a handful of battleground states expected to decide the 2024 election.

For Trump to win both states, he must do well in suburban areas like the areas outside of Milwaukee and Saginaw, Michigan, where he will hold Wednesday's events. He underperformed in suburban areas during this year's primary even as he dominated the Republican field overall.

Trump has repeatedly falsely said that the 2020 election was stolen from him. Trump’s losses in battleground states in 2020 have withstood recounts, audits and reviews by the Justice Department and outside observers.

Gomez Licon reported from Miami, and Price reported from Freeland, Mich.

Follow the AP's coverage of the 2024 election at https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024.

Former President Donald Trump speaks to the media outside the courtroom of his trial at Manhattan criminal court, Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in New York. (Curtis Means/Pool Photo via AP)

Former President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Victor J. Blue/The Washington Post via AP, Pool)