Puppies born ready to communicate with people, research suggests

To better understand biology’s role in dogs’ abilities to communicate with humans, the researchers studied 375 of the organisation’s eight-week-old budding service dogs.

Puppies are born ready to communicate with people, research suggests (Canine Companions for Independence/PA)

Dogs may have earned the title of man’s best friend through their interactions with humans, but now researchers say these social skills could be present shortly after birth rather than being learned.

And some pets appear to start off with an advantage based on their genetics.