Can Animals Understand Humans?

Today’s question comes from Erika, who’s 13 years old. Erika asked, “Can animals understand humans?” What a fun question! Have you ever wondered if your dog knows exactly what you’re saying or if dolphins understand us in their own way? Let’s dive into this!

Episode Transcript

Can Animals Understand Humans?

Hey there, curious minds! Welcome back to I Wonder, the show where we answer the cool questions you’ve been wondering about. Today’s question comes from Sarah, who’s 13 years old. Sarah asked, “Can animals understand humans?” What a fun question! Have you ever wondered if your dog knows exactly what you’re saying or if dolphins understand us in their own way? Let’s dive into this!

Alright, so the answer is… kind of! Many animals can’t understand human language the way we do, but some animals are really good at recognizing sounds, signals, and even emotions from us.

For example, dogs are known to be great listeners. They can understand certain words, like “sit,” “stay,” or even their own names. But what they’re really good at is reading our body language and tone of voice. That’s why your dog might get excited when you sound happy, or hide when they hear you’re upset—even if they don’t know exactly what you’re saying.

Cats are a little different. They don't respond to commands as much, but they recognize our voices. In fact, studies have shown that cats can tell their owners’ voices apart from strangers, even if they sometimes act like they don’t care!

Now, some animals go way beyond just understanding our words or tone. Take dolphins. Dolphins are incredibly smart, and they can understand human-made sign language. Scientists have trained dolphins to follow commands using hand signals, and dolphins can even recognize themselves in mirrors—something only a few animals can do.

And what about other smart animals like chimpanzees or gorillas? Some have learned to use sign languageto communicate with humans! A famous gorilla named Koko knew over 1,000 signs and could even understand spoken English.

But here’s something cool: while we’re teaching animals to understand us, animals also teach us to understand them. Think about how we’ve learned to recognize when birds are warning each other about danger or when whales sing to communicate across the ocean.

So, to answer Sara’s question: yes, animals can understand humans in their own ways! Some can learn to follow commands, some can communicate through signs, and many can read our emotions. It’s pretty amazing to think that while we’re talking to them, they’re finding ways to understand and communicate right back with us.

That wraps up today’s episode! Thanks to Sarah for such a thoughtful question. And if you have something you’re wondering about, send it our way, and we might just explore it next time on I Wonder.

Until then, stay curious and keep wondering!