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

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/wow-in-the-world-223557/speak-fetch-repeat-how-dogs-learn-words-by-overhearing-humans
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/wow-in-the-world-223557/speak-fetch-repeat-how-dogs-learn-words-by-overhearing-humans.md
Podcast: [Wow in the World](https://stenobird.com/podcast/wow-in-the-world-223557)
Published: 2026-05-11T07:01:00+00:00
Episode link: https://rss.art19.com/episodes/40805025-c228-4fb8-84ac-fbcd92f71927.mp3?rss_browser=BAhJIg90cmFuc2NyaWJyBjoGRVQ%3D--952c5701c84ad333c69d5faa668f8177091704f0
Audio file: https://rss.art19.com/episodes/40805025-c228-4fb8-84ac-fbcd92f71927.mp3?rss_browser=BAhJIg90cmFuc2NyaWJyBjoGRVQ%3D--952c5701c84ad333c69d5faa668f8177091704f0
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/wow-in-the-world-223557/episodes/speak-fetch-repeat-how-dogs-learn-words-by-overhearing-humans
Duration seconds: 1504

## Resource

In this tail-wagging, brain-boosting, and totally paw-some episode of Wow in the World, Mindy, Guy Raz, and the WOW crew dive into the surprising science of label learning! At the Dog Vocab World Championship, label learning takes center stage as some of the smartest pups on the planet show off their incredible memories. And as Mindy and Guy discover, label learning might help explain how dog vocabulary works and why dog vocabulary in certain dogs can be way more impressive than you’d ever expect! When Mindy and Guy Raz arrive at a giant stadium to commentate the annual Dog Vocab World Championship, Mindy is mostly focused on one thing: finding a snack. Unfortunately for her, she ends up in the dog toy line instead of concessions and barely has time to figure out what’s happening before she and Guy are rushed on air. Once the lights go up and the crowd starts barking, cheering, and howling, Mindy realizes this is no ordinary dog show. This is a high-stakes battle of memory, focus, and fetch. The competitors? A trio of elite canine superstars: the polished Professor Lex, the rebellious fan-favorite Noodle, and the reigning champion Banjo. One by one, the dogs are asked to retrieve specific toys from a big pile on stage, including avocado, monkey, racecar, airplane, and more. To win, each dog must remember which word belongs to which toy and fetch the correct one without making a mistake. It’s like a spelling bee, a memory game, and a sporting event all rolled into one very fluffy package. But amid all the excitement, Mindy and Guy uncover the real WOW: a fascinating new scientific study from researchers in Budapest suggests that some dogs may not only learn words through direct teaching, but also by simply overhearing humans talk to one another. That means a dog might b…

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