If you've ever had to spell out words like W-A-L-K or T-R-E-A-T around a dog, you know that some dogs listen in to humans' chitchat and can pick out certain key words.

In a new study published in Science on Thursday, researchers at Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary found that a small group of “gifted” dogs can learn the names of new toys just by overhearing their ...