Scientists say dogs think like babies when learning about toys

By Stephen Beech

Brainy dogs can work out how similar toys work - even when they don’t look alike, reveals new research.

Clever canines can categorize objects by function - just like humans, say scientists.

They explained that, as babies, humans naturally learn new words and their associations - such as the fact that forks are related to bowls because both are used to consume food - through a process known as “label extension”.

It had only been documented in a few so-called language-trained individual animals, after years of intensive training in captivity.

Now a team of animal behavior experts has shown that some dogs can do the same - without any formal training.

In a series of playful interactions with their owners, dogs with a vocabulary of toy names - known as "Gifted Word Le