Speak, Fetch, Repeat: How Dogs Learn Words by Overhearing Humans

Summary

Podcast Summary: “Speak, Fetch, Repeat: How Dogs Learn Words by Overhearing Humans”

Podcast: Wow in the World
Hosts: Mindy Thomas & Guy Raz
Date: May 11, 2026
Episode Theme: The astonishing language-learning abilities of dogs, especially how some dogs can learn the names of objects simply by overhearing humans, rather than through direct instruction.

---

Overview of the Episode

In this playful and science-packed episode, Mindy and Guy Raz attend a very special dog graduation ceremony at the Institute for Better Listening. Alongside a cast of quirky characters, they explore the fascinating new research out of Budapest showing that some rare, highly intelligent dogs—so-called "label learners"—can learn the names of objects simply by overhearing humans talk.

The show dives deeply into how dogs (and even human toddlers!) acquire language, the surprising cognitive feats of certain dogs, and the real science behind “learning by snooping.”

---

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Scene: Institute for Better Listening Graduation ([03:54]-[07:53])

• Mindy, Guy Raz, and others are attending a graduation for dogs who’ve completed the Sit, Stay, Snoop Advanced Language Learning Program.
• Playful banter arises around whose dog knows the most words.
• Notable Quote:
  • Diana (Dog Owner): “My brilliant little Boo Boo bear knows 150 words... It's like I can't even mention the words yo-yo or muffin or phone without him running off and grabbing one of his toys of the same name.” ([03:54])

2. Introducing Label Learners and New Research ([07:53]-[09:55])

• The Institute’s announcer describes how they used to teach dogs via “direct instruction” (repetition and pointing).
• New research shows some dogs have a unique skill: “They can learn to recognize words even when those words are not spoken directly to the dog.”
• Key Insight: Only a few, rare "genius dogs" (“label learners”) can do this.

3. Scientific Study from Budapest ([11:06]-[12:46])

• Diana explains study details:
  • 10 label learner dogs (mostly border collies, some Australian shepherds, even a labrador) were used in the Budapest experiments.
  • These breeds are especially attentive to humans (“herding dogs are prized for their ability to pay close attention to what their owners say and do”).
  • “Label learners” can associate the names of objects with the objects themselves, not just command words.
  • Notable Quote:
    • Diana: “Label learner is a description of a dog's ability. It means not only can that dog learn a command word like sit or stay, but they can also learn the names of specific objects…” ([11:36])

4. Demonstration of “Learning by Snooping” ([13:22]-[19:06])

• Volunteers Grandma G Force and Thomas Fingerling are called onstage for a demonstration.
• A new toy (“disco bagel”/sugar donut plushie) is introduced. They talk about the toy with each other, but never address the dogs directly.
• Dogs are then asked, without prior direct training, to fetch the “disco bagel” from a group of toys.
• Multiple dogs successfully fetch the correct toy, illustrating the phenomenon.
• Notable Quote:
  • Mindy: “This is bonker balls, Guy Raz. These dogs all seem to be able to understand and remember the name of the toy.” ([19:06])

5. How Do They Really Do It? Process of Elimination & Human Parallels ([20:23]-[21:51])

• Diana alludes to another famous border collie, Rico, who appeared to learn new labels by process of elimination—if all other toys are recognized, the new object must be the new word.
• Guy Raz compares dogs’ learning to human babies, who also learn many words by eavesdropping around age 2.
• Notable Quotes:
  • Guy Raz: “Dogs aren't the only ones that snoop on conversation in order to learn new words... human babies [do it] too.” ([20:23])
  • Mindy: “So what you're saying is that babies are snoops?” ([20:47])

6. Not All Dogs Are Geniuses—Comedy Ensues ([21:53]-[23:15])

• Dennis, a “graduate” (and not actually a real dog), tries to fetch the “disco bagel” but repeatedly brings the wrong items, to much comedic effect.
• Memorable Moment: Dennis tries a whole string of wrong toys: “Here I am… This isn't the disco bagel. This is a normal bagel with cream cheese!” ([22:13])

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• Diana (Dog Owner):

  • “My brilliant little Boo Boo bear knows 150 words…” ([03:54])

• Institute for Better Listening Announcer:

  • “Now, prior to the research from Budapest, we... relied on direct instruction in order to teach dogs new words.” ([08:34])

• Institute for Better Listening Announcer:

  • “A few rare, really intelligent dogs... can learn to recognize words even when those words are not spoken directly to the dog.” ([09:00])

• Diana (Dog Owner):

  • “Label learner is a description... not only can that dog learn a command... but [also] names of objects like spaceship or dolphin.” ([11:36])

• Guy Raz:

  • “So some dogs can learn human words without being taught directly?” ([11:06])

• Guy Raz:

  • “Dogs aren't the only ones that snoop on conversation in order to learn new words... human babies [do it] too.” ([20:23])

• Mindy Thomas:

  • “So what you're saying is that babies are snoops?” ([20:47])

• Dennis Dogs:

  • “Here I am… This isn't the disco bagel. This is a normal bagel with cream cheese!” ([22:13])

---

Important Timestamps & Segments

• [03:54] – Diana discusses her dog’s vocabulary.
• [07:53] – Graduation ceremony & research introduction.
• [11:06] – Explanation of label learners & special study.
• [13:22] – Demonstration of “Sit, Stay, Snoop” with “disco bagel.”
• [20:23] – Comparison to human toddlers’ learning by overhearing.
• [21:53] – Dennis' comedic failure at fetching the correct toy.

---

Fun Science Facts from This Episode

• Some rare “label learning” dogs can learn object names simply by overhearing humans.
• The most common breeds for this skill are attentive herding dogs such as border collies and Australian shepherds.
• Process of elimination helps some dogs figure out the names of new objects.
• Human toddlers also learn many new words by eavesdropping—not just being directly spoken to.

---

Summary and Takeaways

This episode is a playful, science-rich, and comedy-laden exploration of how some dogs are capable of learning words in much the same way as young children: by actively listening to the world around them. The Budapest studies reveal that labels and language can be picked up by some “genius level” pups without direct teaching, showing just how cognitively sophisticated our canine companions can be.

Curious young listeners and their families are left with a “Wow!”—wondering if their own dog might be a secret snooper, and marveling at the surprising ways animals (and humans!) learn language.

---

For more science fun, listen to Wow in the World every Monday!

Transcript

[Mindy Thomas]

Hey, Wowzer fams. Mindy here. And before we start the show, guess what? You can join me every Friday for two what's in a People who Wow Edition. In this Getting to Know youw game show, I'll be visited by some of the world's most fascinating people to get the wows and the what's of their lives. From cartoonist and graphic novelist Raina Telgemeier of the Smile series, to everyday extraordinary kids just like you. And that's not all. With this new season of two what's in a wow? There are now two ways to wow. What am I talking about? Well, first, you can listen to episodes right here in our wow. In the World podcast feed. Or, and this is a big oar. Yeah, you're right, Reg. That doesn't have the same ring to it. Okay, now where was I? Oh, yeah. As always, you can listen to new episodes in your favorite podcast player, or you can watch these episodes with your eyeballs on YouTube. I know. I should comb my hair or something. We are so excited for you to listen and watch our new season of two what's in a People who Wow Edition starting this Friday. So make sure you're subscribed to our podcast feed and our WowTube channel on YouTube so you don't miss out. That's two what's in a People who Wow Edition coming this Friday. And now a quick ad break and then we'll get on with the show. Hey, Grown ups. Mindy here. And do I have a wow for you. What if I told you that the best kids math program is actually inspired by comic books and it's about monsters? It's called Beast Academy. And the little monsters, like Grog, do the kind of math that gets kids curious enough to stop and think and figure things out for themselves. For example, Krog asked his Beast Academy math club, if our school has more than 366 kids in it, is it guaranteed that two of them will have exactly the same birthday? He proved that the answer is yes through problem solving. Wow, that's Beast Academy. Where kids build problem solving skills through interesting problems and puzzles. It's from the folks at Art of Problem Solving, the same people who train math champions, grown ups. Head to beastacademy.com and use code BEASTWOW for 10% off the online program. Oh, and tell Grog Mindy says hi.

[Yoshi (Nintendo Ad Voice)]

Who's that walking through the woods? Wyatt's Yoshi, here to explore a world of curious creatures with you. Discovered a creature you haven't seen before. Why don't you get Yoshi to see what it tastes like? Hmm, Soapy. No wonder this creature blows giant bubbles so big they can carry you. You jump from one bubble to another and reach new areas. There are plenty more surprises to discover, too. Bowser Jr. What are you doing out here? You can jump into adventure with Yoshi and The Mysterious Book. May 21st only on Nintendo Switch 2. Game Rated E for Everyone proceeded 3, 2, 1.

[Static Man]

Be mission. The buddies are an adventure of magnificent proport.

[Dennis Dogs]

I don't know what you've been told.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

We're in a golden age. So many discoveries that are jumping off the page.

[Diana (Dog Owner)]

You know, I don't mean to boast, but my brilliant little Boo Boo bear knows 150 words, okay? It's like I can't even mention the words yo, yo or muffin or phone in conversation without him running off and grabbing one of his toys of the same name. Oh, wow, that's astonishing. I know 150 words. I mean, come on. I mean, some would call it genius.

[Mindy Thomas]

Yeah, genius, right?

[Diana (Dog Owner)]

But enough about me and Boo Boo Bear. How many words does your little snooter boodle know?

[Mindy Thomas]

My who?

[Diana (Dog Owner)]

You know, your little blipper baby. The one you're here for, the one graduating from the program today. How many words do they know?

[Mindy Thomas]

How many what words? I don't know. Like, all of them.

[Diana (Dog Owner)]

Oh, my. All of them, you say? Well, we'll just have to see about that.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, Mindy, sorry to interrupt, but could I get your help with the little situation we're having over by the refreshments table?

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, sure. Guy Raz. Sorry. Nice talking to you, Miss Lady.

[Diana (Dog Owner)]

Oh, it's Diana.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy, come on.

[Mindy Thomas]

So sorry. Gotta run.

[Guy Raz]

Oh, mom, what was that all about?

[Mindy Thomas]

Guy Raz, how many words do you

[Grandma G Force]

know what this brisket tastes like? Dog food, madam.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

That is dog food.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, boy.

[Grandma G Force]

I know that. I would like two more, please.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Madam, please.

[Jed Anderson]

These refreshments are for the graduates after the ceremony.

[Mindy Thomas]

Okay, Grandma G Force, maybe just put down the dog treat and leave this poor gentleman alone.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Excuse me, sir.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Oh, no.

[Thomas Fingerling]

These foot baths are a little cold.

[Diana (Dog Owner)]

What?

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

No. Get your feet out of the water bowls.

[Guy Raz]

Thomas Fingerling, where are your shoes?

[Thomas Fingerling]

Oh, hey there, Mr. Azzy.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Okay, everyone, please take your seats. The ceremony is about to begin.

[Mindy Thomas]

Okay, come on, Grandma G Force, Thomas Fingerling, come on, time to sit down.

[Grandma G Force]

Well, I ain't going nowheres till I get two more of them little biscuit boys.

[Guy Raz]

Grandma G Force, you can have a treat after Dennis ceremony. Okay? Come sit down.

[Mindy Thomas]

You too, Thomas Fingerling come on, let's go.

[Thomas Fingerling]

No way, dude. I'm in the middle of my bath.

[Mindy Thomas]

Come here. Come on. No, Fingerling, no.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Let's go.

[Grandma G Force]

Lay me off.

[Mindy Thomas]

That's a background.

[Grandma G Force]

My G finger telling me what to do. Sit. I don't wanna do like that.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, hello again.

[Diana (Dog Owner)]

Having trouble with recall, huh? You know basic commands. Sit, stay, Roll over.

[Grandma G Force]

Oh, did somebody say roll over? Okay, grandma.

[Diana (Dog Owner)]

Cheekboys.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

No,

[Diana (Dog Owner)]

that's a good girl.

[Grandma G Force]

Now give me a treat.

[Diana (Dog Owner)]

Of course. But first, you must sit.

[Mindy Thomas]

Sit.

[Dennis Dogs]

Woof.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Double woof, woof.

[Diana (Dog Owner)]

A treat for you and a treat for you.

[Grandma G Force]

There you go. That's good.

[Guy Raz]

Come on everyone. I've got some seats saved for us in the.

[Mindy Thomas]

Is it just me guy Raz, or does something feel really weird about this place?

[Guy Raz]

Yeah, it's really strange. Mindy, what exactly did Dennis tell you about this ceremony?

[Mindy Thomas]

Well, he said he's been taking these self improvement classes.

[Guy Raz]

Yeah.

[Mindy Thomas]

And he said that they've been helping him to master things like discipline and following instructions and listening skills.

[Dennis Dogs]

Uh huh.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Welcome everyone. On behalf of the Institute for Better Listening, we are so happy to introduce you to our fine graduates of our six week Sit, Stay, Snoop Advanced Language learning program.

[Guy Raz]

Sit, Stay, Snoop. Mindy, what is this?

[Mindy Thomas]

I don't know.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Our listening and obedience program is based on new research from the University of Budapest. The friends that you're about to meet have developed vocabularies to hundreds of words in size.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy, did he say obedience program?

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, boy.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Presenting our graduates, Banjo Noodles, Tater Tot iii. Boo Boo Bear and Dennis Dogs.

[Dennis Dogs]

Woof woof. I'm a good boy.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Yes, you are.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Treat.

[Mindy Thomas]

Yay.

[Thomas Fingerling]

That's one ugly looking dog.

[Grandma G Force]

Oh, snap.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Now, prior to the research from Budapest, we here at the Institute for Better Listening relied on direct instruction in order to teach dogs new words.

[Guy Raz]

Direct instruction?

[Mindy Thomas]

Yeah, I think he means like, you know, sit, stay. Holding up a toy and just saying the name of it over and over and over again until the dog starts to connect the name with the toy.

[Guy Raz]

Ah, of course.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

But now we've learned that a few rare, intelligent dogs have a special skill, A skill that demonstrates the extent of their amazing language learning abilities. And that special skill is.

[Mindy Thomas]

Yes.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

The skill is.

[Listener Callers]

Yes.

[Grandma G Force]

Spit it out, boy.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Eavesdropping.

[Mindy Thomas]

Eavesdropping.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Otherwise known as snooping.

[Dennis Dogs]

That's right. Woof woof, woof.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, this is starting to make a little more sense now.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

The dogs you see before you are exceptional. They are what are known as label learners. They can learn to recognize words even when those words Are not spoken directly to the dog.

[Mindy Thomas]

Wow, Guy Raz. I didn't know dogs could snoop.

[Guy Raz]

Me neither. Is that why Dennis is here? To learn how to snoop like a dog?

[Diana (Dog Owner)]

Hello? Hi, it's me, Diana again.

[Mindy Thomas]

Hi, Diana.

[Diana (Dog Owner)]

Aren't you just so proud of your little pupper? Snup. Now, which one is yours?

[Mindy Thomas]

That one.

[Dennis Dogs]

Woof woof. I'm a dog.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Yes, you are. Treat.

[Mindy Thomas]

Hooray. Oh my.

[Diana (Dog Owner)]

What breed is he?

[Guy Raz]

A very rare breed of dog.

[Dennis Dogs]

Excuse me? Woof woof.

[Diana (Dog Owner)]

Yes, I see.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Now, as I was saying, the dogs here before you are a select, rare, genius level dog. They can learn and understand the names for hundreds of objects such as toys.

[Dennis Dogs]

That's right. Genius level. What?

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Dennis, sit.

[Dennis Dogs]

Oh, sorry. Sitting down, sir.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Good boy. Here at Sit, Stay, Snoop, we evaluate how intelligent our students are by their ability to learn new words through snooping.

[Guy Raz]

Wow. So some dogs can learn human words without being taught directly?

[Mindy Thomas]

I guess so. They can learn by eavesdropping or snooping in on human conversations. Oh, yes.

[Diana (Dog Owner)]

My dog, Boo Boo Bear is a gifted word learner. I have a bumper sticker on my car to prove it. I enrolled him in Sit, Stay, Snoop to determine if he is a label learner.

[Guy Raz]

Label learner?

[Mindy Thomas]

What's that?

[Diana (Dog Owner)]

Label learner is a description of a dog's ability. It means not only can that dog learn a command word like sit or stay, but they can also learn the names of specific objects like spaceship or dolphin.

[Guy Raz]

Interesting. Can any dog be trained to be a label learner?

[Diana (Dog Owner)]

Oh, heavens no. You see, a label learning dog is a very rare thing. For example, My Boo Boo is a highly sophisticated border collie. In fact, you didn't hear this from me, but some of his relatives were used in the actual experiment conducted for the study that this class is based on.

[Mindy Thomas]

Wait, his relatives?

[Diana (Dog Owner)]

Oh, yes. This experimental research from Budapest was conducted on a group of 10 dogs all deemed label learners. Now, most of the label learners were herding dogs. Breeds like border collies, like My Boo Boo Bear and Australian Shepherds, of course.

[Guy Raz]

Herding dogs, those types of dogs are known to pay especially close attention to humans.

[Diana (Dog Owner)]

Exactly. See, herding dogs are prized for their ability to pay close attention to what their owners say and do.

[Dennis Dogs]

Huh.

[Mindy Thomas]

So herding dogs are good snoopers?

[Diana (Dog Owner)]

Well, yes, I suppose you could say that herding dogs are natural born snoopers. However, one of the dogs in the study was actually a Labrador retriever.

[Mindy Thomas]

So label learning dogs can be found in other breeds too?

[Diana (Dog Owner)]

It would appear so.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Now, ladies and gentlemen, we would like to have our Graduates demonstrate for you how they learn, a process we call Sit. Stay. Snoop. Can I have two volunteers, please?

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, oh, me. Pick me. I love to volunteer.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Wonderful. You there.

[Dennis Dogs]

Me?

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Um, no, next to you, the lady in the lumpy leotard.

[Grandma G Force]

Who's he talking to?

[Thomas Fingerling]

He's talking to you, G force.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

What?

[Dennis Dogs]

No fair.

[Grandma G Force]

Well, I'll have you know that this is a unitard and these lumps is pennies I fished out of the mall fountain.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Excellent. Please come to the stage and bring that gentleman next to you.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Who, me?

[Dennis Dogs]

Go up there.

[Guy Raz]

Thomas Fingerling.

[Grandma G Force]

Come on, Fingerling, we're volunte.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Okay, fine.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Now, to demonstrate how intelligent our graduates are. Ahem.

[Dennis Dogs]

I believe the word you are looking for is genius.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Dennis, no barking now.

[Dennis Dogs]

Oh, sorry. Yes, teacher.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

To demonstrate how genius our graduates are, we will teach them a new label right here, right now. Okay, grandma G force.

[Mindy Thomas]

What?

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Please select a dog toy from this basket.

[Grandma G Force]

Okay, I want this one.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

No, that is the basket itself. Please select a toy from the basket.

[Grandma G Force]

I want this one.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Ooh, good choice. The sugar donut plushie.

[Dennis Dogs]

Oh, let me stay, let me stay.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Dennis, sit.

[Dennis Dogs]

Sitting.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Stay.

[Dennis Dogs]

I'm staying.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Snoop.

[Dennis Dogs]

Yes, sir.

[Grandma G Force]

Now what?

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Now this toy, the sugar donut plushie, is unknown to our dogs. They have never seen it before and are going to learn the name of it.

[Grandma G Force]

Okay, I get it. Come here, doggies. Watch and learn. This thing here is called a disco bagel. You got that disco bagel?

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

No, no, no, grandma G force, we're not teaching the dogs directly.

[Grandma G Force]

What do you mean? What do you mean?

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

I mean these dogs are geniuses. We don't need to teach them by addressing them directly. These dogs can learn the name of that toy by eavesdropping on your human conversation about the toy.

[Grandma G Force]

So what, you just want me to talk to Fingerling about it?

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Exactly. You and Thomas fingerling are going to talk to each other about this sugar donut plushie toy. You're going to say the name of it to each other and these dogs will learn.

[Grandma G Force]

Okay, here we go. Hey, Fingerling, look at this disco bagel.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Oh, that's a very nice disco bagel you got there, GeForce.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Huh?

[Dennis Dogs]

Disco bagel. What an interesting name.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

You're doing great. Let the dogs see the disco bagel. But do not look at them. Do not address the dogs. Just talk to each other.

[Grandma G Force]

Well, this disco bagel is very round. It don't got no corners, see?

[Thomas Fingerling]

Uh huh. Disco bagel.

[Grandma G Force]

And this disco bagel is brown.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Yeah, brown disco bagel.

[Grandma G Force]

And there is a hole through the middle of this disco bagel. And I do not know what happened to it.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Interesting. A little hole in the disco bagel.

[Grandma G Force]

And this disco bagel is covered and sparkly sugar.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Disco bag of. I get it.

[Dennis Dogs]

I get it too.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Okay, that should do it. Now, in both the experiment and our class, after the dogs eavesdropped on the humans talking about the new toy, we put the new toy into a bunch of other toys that the dogs already know the names of. Grandma G force.

[Mindy Thomas]

What?

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Please place the sugar donut.

[Grandma G Force]

Disco bagel.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Right. Please place the disco bagel into this toy basket.

[Grandma G Force]

Okay. Here, basket. Here's a disco bagel. Hope you like it.

[Dennis Dogs]

Oh, toys. Bark, bark, bark, bark, BOB Give me, give me, give me, give me.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Quiet, please.

[Dennis Dogs]

Oh, sorry, sorry, sorry.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Now, each dog will demonstrate its snooping ability. Banjo, come. Come, Banjo. Good, Banjo. Oh, good boy. Now, Banjo, go get the disco bagel. Good, Banjo. That is the disco bagel. Very good. Here, Ms. GeForce, put this disco bagel back into the toy bin, please.

[Grandma G Force]

Why gotta I do everything around here about their basket?

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Noodles, come. Good Noodles. Okay, go get the disco bagel. Go on, Noodles. Go get it. Good Noodles. That is the disco bagel. So good.

[Dennis Dogs]

Wow.

[Mindy Thomas]

This is bonker balls Guy Raz. These dogs all seem to be able to understand and remember the name of the toy.

[Guy Raz]

Yeah.

[Mindy Thomas]

Do you think all the dogs here will be able to find the disco bagel?

[Diana (Dog Owner)]

I believe so. I heard that the scientists ran this experiment with their dogs several times over several days.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Tater Tot the third. Come. Oh, good, Tater Tot. Now go get the disco bagel.

[Diana (Dog Owner)]

And you didn't hear this from me, but they discovered that these intelligent dogs were able to grab the correct item 80% of the time.

[Mindy Thomas]

Just from snooping? Yes.

[Diana (Dog Owner)]

Can you believe it?

[Guy Raz]

That's incredible.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Oh, good job, Tater Tot. Iii. That is the disco bear. Good boy. Ooh, Boo Boo bear. Come.

[Diana (Dog Owner)]

Oh, that's my boo Boo bear.

[Mindy Thomas]

You can do it, Boo Boo bear. Mommy loves you.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Oh, good Boo Boo. Okay, now go get the disco bag. Oh, boo Boo bear.

[Mindy Thomas]

Yes, man. Ms. Diana treats her dog like it's a real human baby.

[Guy Raz]

You know, Mindy, dogs aren't the only ones that snoop on conversation in order to learn new words.

[Mindy Thomas]

Really? There are other animals that do this?

[Guy Raz]

Yes, humans. Specifically, human babies.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, yeah. Human babies learn words by hearing other humans talk to each other, too?

[Guy Raz]

Exactly.

[Mindy Thomas]

So what you're saying is that. That dogs are babies?

[Guy Raz]

What? No.

[Mindy Thomas]

So what you're saying is that babies are snoops?

[Guy Raz]

No, Mindy, that's not. Well, yes, I guess I am kind of saying that babies are snoops.

[Mindy Thomas]

I knew it.

[Guy Raz]

But by babies, I don't mean infants. Humans start snooping. I mean learning words through eavesdropping at around 2 years old. So toddlers.

[Mindy Thomas]

Snooping toddlers. Interesting. Do you think these label learning dogs are actually learning, like toddlers Guy Raz, I don.

[Guy Raz]

For sure it looks like it, and it's very impressive. But it's possible something else is going on.

[Diana (Dog Owner)]

You know, in 2004, there was another study involving a border collie like my Boo Boo bear. And this border collie named Rico could learn the names of new objects through the process of elimination.

[Mindy Thomas]

The process of elimination? You mean like crossing off the answers that are wrong so it's easier to find the right one?

[Diana (Dog Owner)]

You didn't hear that from me.

[Guy Raz]

Wow, that's really advanced.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Dennis, come.

[Dennis Dogs]

Woof, woof, woof. Bark, bark. Here I am.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Oh, that's a good boy, Dennis.

[Mindy Thomas]

It's Dennis. Turn. Let's see if he's a genius label learner, too.

[Diana (Dog Owner)]

He really is an ugly dog, isn't he?

[Guy Raz]

This is so strange.

[Mindy Thomas]

Guy Raz, be supportive. You got this, Dennis.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Okay, Dennis, go get the disco bagel.

[Dennis Dogs]

Woof, woof, woof. Can do. Here you go.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Oh, sorry, Dennis. This isn't the disco bagel. This is a normal bagel with cream cheese.

[Dennis Dogs]

Oh, whoops. Let me try again. Here we go. Woof, woof.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

No, Dennis. This is a disco ball.

[Dennis Dogs]

What? That's what I thought you. You said. I'll be right back.

[Guy Raz]

This is not good.

[Mindy Thomas]

Yeah, maybe Dennis isn't ready to graduate after all.

[Dennis Dogs]

Here. This one is definitely the one.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Oh, sorry, Dennis. This is a donut with pink frosting and multicolored sprinkles.

[Dennis Dogs]

Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, Dennis.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, boy.

[Guy Raz]

This one?

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

No, that's a pineapple. This one? No, that's a pretty little princess.

[Dennis Dogs]

This one?

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

No, that's a basketball Wearing sun yellow grown ups.

[Jed Anderson]

Jett Anderson here from Tinkercast. I got a question for you. How does your household manage to keep track of everything? I mean, really. I want to know because after a day of producing another episode of wow in the World and keeping track of all the crazy characters, the voices, I then have to keep track of all the crazy characters at home. That is why I can't wait to get a Skylight calendar. It's an all in one digital smart calendar that syncs with Google Calendar, Outlook and more. And it gives you and your kids the perfect customized view of everyone's events. Chores and to dos so that nothing slips through the cracks. Families are better when they're working together. Right now, Skylight is offering our listeners $30 off their 15 inch calendars by going to myskylight.com wowintheworld go to myskylight.com wowIntheworld for $30 off your 15 inch calendar. That's my s k y l I g h t dot com wowintheworld this one?

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

No, that's a squirrel with a floofy tail.

[Mindy Thomas]

Wow in the world. We'll be right back. Grown ups. This message is for you. That's it. Back to the show.

[Dennis Dogs]

What in the world?

[Mindy Thomas]

Hi, thanks for calling wow in the World. After the beep, get ready to record.

[Listener Callers]

Hi, this is Oliver from Rhode Island. My wow in the world is that on Uranus or Neptune, it probably rains diamonds. Hi, Mindy and Guy Raz. My name's Mila and I live in Southerton, Pennsylvania. My wow in the world is that raspberries are a member of the Rose family. They're not part of the Berry family. Say hi to Reggie, Dennis. Ahoy there, Grandma G Force and Thomas Fingerling for me.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Sup?

[Guy Raz]

Bye.

[Static Man]

Hey, wow in the world. My name is Davis and I'm from Auburn, Washington. My wow is that. Did you know that shark skin actually sort of feels like sandpaper? Super weird because they live underwater. Please say hi to Grandma G Force.

[Dennis Dogs]

Booy.

[Static Man]

Reggie. Dennis. Hi there, baby. Baby Static Man. I am Static man and Bucky and Thomas Fingerling.

[Institute for Better Listening Announcer]

Ooh, cool, dude.

[Static Man]

Bye.

[Listener Callers]

Hi, I'm Emily and I'm from the USA in San Jose. And my wow in the world is that humans have the same amount of neck bones that giraffes do. Say hi to Reggie for me. My name is Ethan and I'm from the Dalles, Oregon. And my wow is that girls could understand sign language. Hi, Mindy and Guy Raz. I'm Layla. And I'm Elliot and we're from Boston and all around the world for you. Is that. Did you know that otters have pockets in their armpits to throw rocks in to crack their food up in? They also hold their hands when they're sleeping to not drift away. Say hi to Dennis. Hi, Reggie and baby Dennis, of course.

[Dennis Dogs]

Yay.

[Listener Callers]

See you later. Bye.

[Diana (Dog Owner)]

End of messages.

[Guy Raz]

Before we get into the credits for today's episode, we want to give some special shout outs and say a huge thank you to some of the wowzers whose families are powering the wow this year.

[Mindy Thomas]

We broke the names up into two batches and here is our first batch of names. We are so grateful for your support.

[Guy Raz]

Owen and Aubrey from California Saman and Ryan from California Oralene and Esther from New York Ella from Singapore Lacey elementary from North Carolina Teddy, Silas and Emmett

[Mindy Thomas]

from Arizona Jason from Texas Eli and Nolan from Texas Luke and Noel from

[Guy Raz]

North Carolina Elan from California Emmett and Adler from Kansas John, Katie, Ethan and Amelia from Pennsylvania Nesla and Yaqub from Kuwait Evelyn, Ramona and Tabitha from Nevada

[Mindy Thomas]

John R from Wisconsin Emory and Isla from California Caroline from Massachusetts Ian and Declan from Washington Elena and Lucia from

[Guy Raz]

Maryland Parker from Texas Albert and Lulu from Brighton, England Hayden, Hazel and Allie from Pennsylvania Magnus from the District of Columbia William and Allie from Virginia Brendan,

[Mindy Thomas]

Jessica, David and Michael from Ohio Bailey, Macy and Hank from South Carolina James from Washington Peter, Teddy and Leo from Minnesota Paul from Rhode Island Nuri from

[Guy Raz]

Washington Violet and Will from California Audrey and Ethan from Virginia Alex H from Tennessee James and Madison from Utah and Happy Birthday.

[Mindy Thomas]

Happy Birthday to Otis from Minnesota.

[Guy Raz]

From the bottom of our hearts and

[Mindy Thomas]

the tops of our brains, thank you. Thanks for listening to this episode of wow in the World. If you're a kid with a big wow to share with us, call our WOW. Hotline at 1-888-7-WOW wow for a chance to be featured at the end of the show.

[Guy Raz]

And while you're at it, head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Leave us five stars and tell us what wows you about our show by leaving a review or send us a comment on Spotify. You just might hear your reviewsie read by Dennis on WeWOW on the weekend,

[Mindy Thomas]

visit [e-mail] and become a member of the World Organization of Wowzers. With that you'll get year round mailings in your mailbox, weekly activities, birthday cards

[Guy Raz]

and more on Tinkercast.com, you can also shop our WOW shop, get tickets for upcoming live events, find our books, toys and science kits and learn all about the other amazing podcasts from Tinkercast.

[Mindy Thomas]

Once again, that's Tinkercast.com wow in the

[Guy Raz]

world is written by Mindy Thomas and Tom Van Kalkin with contributions from Me, Guy Raz.

[Mindy Thomas]

Original sound design and music editing is done by Tyler Thole with help from our senior Production Director Jed Anderson and audio Producer Henry Moskal. You can also hear Jed Anderson in the voices of Dennis, Thomas, Fingerling, Reggie and many of the other silly characters you hear on our show.

[Guy Raz]

Jessica Bode keeps our facts straight as our fact checker. Steph Sosa keeps our heads on straight as our Executive Producer and Meredith Halperin Ranzer Powers the Wow at Tinkercast.

[Mindy Thomas]

Our theme song was composed and performed by three time Grammy nominees the Pop Ups. Find them at thepopups.com Special thanks to

[Guy Raz]

our team including Kristin Yang, Thuy Mac, Ali Paksima, Linda Rothenberg and Anna Zagorski and all of the other tinkerers at Tinkercast hq.

[Yoshi (Nintendo Ad Voice)]

Grown Ups.

[Mindy Thomas]

You can follow wow in the World on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter owintheworld and our email address is hello in tinkercast.com thanks for listening.

[Guy Raz]

Find episode of wow in the World every Monday to what's in the wow? Every Friday right here and on YouTube.

[Mindy Thomas]

And don't forget, we wow on the weekends with Dennis every Saturday and Sunday right here in the wow in the World podcast feed.

[Guy Raz]

Until then, keep on wowing.

[Mindy Thomas]

Wow in the World was made by Tinkercast.