Some dogs can classify their toys by function, new study finds

Some dogs aren’t just good boys and girls — they’re geniuses.

Certain pups can do more than recognize the names of their favorite chew toys — they can actually group their playthings by function, like fetching or tugging, regardless of whether or not they are similar in appearance , a study published this week in Current Biology reveals.

It’s a mental trick scientists call “label extension.” Humans use it when we realize a hammer and a rock can both drive a nail, or that a mug and a glass both count as “cups.” 7

For animals, it usually takes years of training in captivity. But these smart pups picked it up simply by playing with their owners at home.

“This was done in a natural setup, with no extensive training,” lead researcher Claudia Fugazza of Eötvös Loránd University in B