Youve probably heard the common wisdom that it doesnt really matter what you say to your dog, as long as you say it in a nice way.

Maybe you found this distressing, since you like to believe your pup knows exactly what you mean when you tell him I love you 12 to 14 times per day.

But it turns out dogs may understand more than humans have traditionally given them credit for, according to a new study by researchers at Etvs Lornd University in Budapest, Hungary, published in the journal Science this week.