Can Dogs talk? Winner of Gold Science Award
Posted on: November 12th, 2026
26 AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Award for video in-depth recording
Gold Award
Olly Bootle, Kirstie McLure, Emma Ross and Josette D. Normandeau
NOVA/GBH/PBS
Feb. 4, 2026
CAN DOGS TALK?
What dog owner wouldn’t like to converse with their pet? An international production team won the Gold Award for Video In-Depth Reporting for the NOVA documentary, “Can Dogs Talk?”
The film explores the phenomenon of dogs who can select outcomes by tapping a specific word button such as “play” or “outside.” Do the dogs genuinely understand and use human language, the researchers ask, or are they simply reacting to conditioning.
The producers took a close look at the largest animal communication study in history, with researchers at the University of California San Diego analyzing over 10 million button presses by 10,000 dogs in nearly 50 countries. Videos show some dogs who do seem to engage in conversations and others who learn new words with incredible speed. Still, the researchers are taking a careful approach, given controversies over past efforts to teach animals like chimpanzees to communicate with humans.
As the narrator of the documentary cautions, just because the dogs
“can press buttons that say words, doesn’t necessarily mean the dogs have any real understanding of what those words mean.”
Federico Rossano, the lead researcher on the project at UCSD, said it is important to know not just which buttons the dogs have but also how they’re laid out
“so that we can, for example, run analysis to see if the dogs seems to be actually doing something intentionally.”
The science documentary was co-produced by Canada’s Idéacom International and the United Kingdom’s Big Wave Productions in association with NOVA/GBH and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Radio-Canada, and ARTE France. Judge Michael Werner, a freelance video producer, said the documentary
“takes a question millions of pet owners wonder about and anchors it in rigorous scientific investigation. It tells an irresistible story while beautifully illustrating the patience, skepticism, and discipline required to test animal cognition.
Kirstie McLure, CEO of Big Wave Productions, said,
“Our passion is making world-class science accessible and captivating, and we’re immensely proud of the team and grateful to NOVA and The Kavli Foundation for celebrating rigorous science reporting.”
Through his research and writing, director Olly Bootle made it possible for us to share these discoveries with a wide audience.” ” Josette D. Normandeau, president of Idéacom International, said the filmmakers
“set out to bring scientific answers to a question so many dog owners ask every day.