Exploring Dog-Human Communication

What if you could communicate with your pet? If they could just tell you how much they love you, how when you leave the house to go to work, it feels like they've just spent a week without you?

In the 1970s, a gorilla named Koko learned sign language. With the help of researchers, she was able to demonstrate a level of intelligence that inspired a generation of scientists. For the first time, we were forced to rethink just how good animals are at communication. Although some researchers are still skeptical of Koko's abilities, everyone can admit that watching her form relationships through language is truly mesmerizing. Her rich inner life was on full display; she expressed her preferences, emotions, and wants. Language opened up the opportunity to communicate across species.

But we taught Koko one of our languages. She adapted to human communication styles and learned from our species. We judged her intelligence based on our metrics, assuming we were superior. But what if we could understand and speak the languages of other animals instead of having to teach them our own?

Right now, we can differentiate the meanings of bird calls and categorize the unique dances of honeybees, but could we go a step further? Although it currently sounds like science fiction, we might be closer than you think. Bioacoustics is the study of sound in the environment, including animal sounds. Biologists in this field have collected thousands of recordings of different animals communicating. Unfortunately, it's so much data that it's almost impossible to analyze it manually. But that's all changing.

In 2017, researchers developed machine learning that could translate directly between languages. The technology aligned linguistic shapes and syntax to decipher meaning. These computers have started being used to organize and synthesize the thousands of recordings we have to identify consistent linguistic patterns. If we can successfully break down these complex linguistic patterns, we might just be able to teach ourselves how to speak the languages of the animals.

Sure, our vocal cords can't make sounds like whales, but that's what computers are for. And once we codify these languages, what's stopping us from using them? In theory, it could be possible to have an entire interspecies conversation using a non-human language. But it's one thing to know what's being said; it's another thing to entirely know the meaning behind what is said. That meaning is still the biggest problem in the field of animal communication.

With Koko the gorilla, no one could be sure if she was communicating her own thoughts and ideas or if she just learned the right moves to get the real action she wanted from her human caretakers. In essence, we might figure out what an animal is saying, but how can we be sure we know what the animal means? In turn, how can we be sure that they understand what we mean?

Learning a language is one thing, but communicating effectively is an entirely different thing. Even with humans, we have double names for things like chai tea, naan bread, and Sahara Desert. When new people got to a place and asked for the name of something, they were given its title and just used that to mean that specific thing. This clearly shows that we can understand something without fully knowing its intended meaning.

Other things, like non-verbal cues, also play a massive role in communication, regardless of species. Like humans, animals might use body language or inflection that changes the tone of their message. It opens up a whole other layer of communication beyond vocalization.

To understand language itself is only one piece of the puzzle. Imagine what life would be like without animals: no giant elephants, no cute mice, no dogs or cats. I don't know about you, but that sounds horrible.

This is why we need to protect animals and restore their ecosystems. That seems like an impossible task for individuals like you and me. To help us, I partnered with Planet Wild, an organization that's making restoring global ecosystems within everyone's reach. More on them and the free gift they have for you at the end of th...