[Minerva (OP)]

http://news.discovery.com/animals/whales-dolphins/dolphins-call-each-other-by-name-130219.htm

Chipping away at humans' extraordinary vanity in being unable to conceive of other species utilising effective communications......

[CliffordK]

Thanks for the link.
We obviously have a lot to learn about Dolphin and whale communication.  Perhaps one of the problems is that we need something more in common to talk about other than a few circus tricks.

[menageriemanor]

Thanks for the link.  I think it was referred to on QI, where the professional redneck Jeremy Clarkson poured scorn on the research, without any experience or education in the field, but why should that stop him, eh?  He earns that big money being the same scornful, bully boy senior year lout of the nightmares of every geek, since he left school.

I can certainly vouch for sheep knowing their personal, human given names, and responding or not, as individuals, which until recently, was rather sneered at, as anecdotal.  I am pleased to say recent official research has confirmed that, as well as a memory and recognition of flock and humans they deal with, AND a good variance in intelligence, which I can also vouch for, anecdotally.

[CliffordK]

Dogs also seem to be able to learn the human given names of people, as well as the names of other dogs and other pets.  Perhaps even some place names.  Of course, they don't have the ability to imitate the human vocal system.

And, of course, humans aren't very good at picking up more than a few dog vocalizations.

[menageriemanor]

Completely anecdotal, but my 'enforcer' pet dog, who will protect on command, or relax, and be a lamb, (not trained so, but evolved over time, that she did no guarding of me, without permission), once  gave a single bark, when I was in the paddock next door, carrying water buckets to trees.

To this day, I can't tell you why, but I immediately put down the buckets, and went to her.  As I approached, she was visually locked onto something.  Following her line of sight, near my house, was a venomous and large brown snake. (Oz).

All my dogs are trained to hurt nothing, from stick insects and mice, to lambs and hens, to lizards, to anything really, EXCEPT some people if given the go ahead.  They are far safer, far less likely to be bitten, by snakes, or get into trouble, that way, but it is for the other animals that it is a non negotiable law. 

Jess clearly recognised danger, but as I was home, it was my call.  I gave one of my non negotiable commands.   GO INSIDE. (house).  All three dogs did, and I tossed things near it, til it got peeved and left the area.

I know one brown snake lives in my backyard.  Either it has a new holiday home, or another has moved in, but my cats are too intelligent to approach, and my dogs know everything that moves, apart from people, are my personal friends and it's best to just nod hello in passing.

I have often reflected, that single short bark,  and I immediately knew it was NOT casually to get back to, after finishing that watering. Tho I couldn't say why. I literally put the buckets down and walked straight to her.  If people turned up she barked like a terrifying attack dog, and would continue, like a mad pack of dogs, until told.  "Enough".  Once, calmly.  GREAT dog.  This was just a single bark, in a tone that I picked up on, even as I recognised my actions, observed my actions and endeavoured to analyse my reaction which I couldn't explain.  When I reached Jess, I realised it seemingly was quite a remarkable understanding between us, and I had not realised had developed.

[evan_au]

There have been suggestions that some parrots also have names which they use to find each other.
There must also be some significant individual vocal characteristics which enable Emperor Penguins to find each other amongst a group of thousands, after a separation of several months.

[Minerva (OP)]

Yes-I thank BF Skinner every day for showing me how to teach my cat to wind me round her little paw..... []  I think she read the book before I did.....

[cheryl j]

In the video link below, Neil Degrasse Tyson demonstrates how a dog named Chaser knows the names of a thousand toys. But what is really interesting  is that the dog could figure out the name of an unfamiliar toy by process of elimination. That is, when asked to fetch a toy with a name he didn't know, and it was among a group of toys he did know the names of, he came back with the right one, and quickly learned it's new name.

Some argue that animals learning the names of things is "a trick" because they are rewarded in some way. They don't really understand the symbolic nature of language. But it still seems to me like the connections between an object and word or sound are made the same way in people and animals.

http://www.boreme.com/posting.php?id=29354

[yor_on]

Yeah, makes sense to me Cheryl. We like to believe we are special, but I suspect we're not really. But the more inhumanly you treat someone or something, as the 'food industry' today the more you will need to act, and believe, that there are something really unique about being human, giving us real souls, real pain etc etc. A lot of bs in my eyes.