A clever border collie that can fetch at least 200 objects by name may be living proof that dogs truly understand human language, German scientists have reported

A clever border collie that can fetch at least 200 objects by name may be living proof that dogs truly understand human language, German scientists have reported. Rico can figure out which object his master wants even if he has never heard the word before, the researchers say. The findings, reported in the journal Science, may not surprise many dog owners. But they are certain to re-ignite a debate over what language is and whether it is unique to humans. Rico's abilities seem to follow a process called fast mapping, seen when young children start to learn to speak and understand language, they report. Fast-mapping allows a child to form quick and rough hypotheses about the meaning of a new word the first time they hear or see it. "(Rico) lives as a pet with his owners and was reported by them to know the labels of more than 200 items, mostly children's toys and balls, which he correctly retrieved upon request," Julia Fischer of the Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig and colleagues wrote. His owners say "Rico, wo ist der (where is the) Banane (banana)," or "BigMac" or "Panda", and the dog searches, out of sight of the owner, until he finds the object. Fischer and colleagues set up experiments to test the dog and are satisfied that he understands the words.