A study has shown that dogs have a certain talent for languages that had only been associated with people before. Their skills for the recognition of human speech are far more complex than we have been aware of so far.
The researchers claim that dogs and humans share what they call “language talent”. The results of their study prove that dogs can not only recognize words but also different people’s voices. The study was carried out by scientists from the University of Sussex and published in Biology Letters.
The aim of the research was to find out if dogs can instinctively recognize the same word said by different people. More specifically, if they can recognize the same phonemes said by different people, no matter their accent and pronunciation.
For the sake of the study to be objective, the studied dogs didn’t know any of the people – the speakers. This prevented them from having an undesired reaction to a familiar person which might distort the results. Neither were the dogs motivated by treats or attention for the same reason.
They were recorded when reacting to the recordings of men’s and women’s voices saying words with similar sounds (e.g. had, hid, heard, heed). The words used for the study were carefully picked so they would not be related in any way to the typical commands. Therefore, the dogs couldn’t have any reaction to them because of their training.
According to the study, the dogs were able to recognize the same word said by different speakers as well as the speakers themselves on the basis of the sound of their voices. Until then, the ability to recognize vowel sounds said by different people had been considered to be an ability only humans have. It is crucial for the ability to speak. Without this, we wouldn’t be able to recognize the same word said by different people.
The research has shown that despite previous assumptions, this spontaneous ability is not exclusive to humans. Therefore, dogs share a kind of “language talent” with us which implies that the speech perception might not be a special thing only humans can do as we used to think.
We may not feel so weird when speaking to our dog companion as an equal speaker at home after this. The dog might understand us better than we could ever imagine. However, we still don’t have to pay attention to what we tell them – as of now at least. :)
According to some estimates, around 5-10 percent of all dogs can be partially or completely deaf. Apparently, dogs with white coats are more prone to deafness. Even though it does not affect only older dogs, it is not a topic that is often discussed....
Nowadays, it is common for town cats as well as village cats to be castrated. The reasons are understandable and people have fortunately moved away from the old-fashioned tradition of drowning kittens. But what to expect from castration, especially in...
It is said that a dog is a man's best friend Recent research therefore tends to focus on how dogs think and what they perceive during specific moments. The diversity of their thinking is based on the fact that dogs have gradually become involved in...
Fetching is a favourite activity for many dogs. Some dogs have it in their genes. Others must be shown how it is done before they start enjoying it. As with all other commands, positive motivation and rewarding are important. How to go about it?
The Czech Republic had the honour of taking on the host role and providing a venue for the World Dog Show organised for exhibitors, breeders and dog breed enthusiasts. It was agreed among the visitors that the event was successful. As a venue for the...
Do you find it hard to decide when there's so much to choose from? If you're like me, it's best to try out the harness first before you buy it for your four-legged friend. Today, the selection of dog harnesses is truly varied. There are harnesses for...
Autumn is here. And with it comes the flu season. Colds and other ailments associated with this time of the year do not only affect people, but also their four-legged friends. Especially widespread and highly dangerous in case of non-treatment is the...
Breed registry, pedigree, bonitation, bonitation card or bonitation commission, exterior, breeding certification - these are all terms that you will inevitably encounter if you want to have a 'certified' dog, namely a dog with a pedigree. What...
These little creatures, which we have adopted as full-fledged pets, the same as cats and dogs, are much more interesting than seems at first glance. What are the five peculiarities associated with the most numerous order of mammals, which every...
Gastric torsion is the nightmare of all dog owners. According to statistics, in three out of five cases gastric torsion happens at night. This is a very serious illness with a mortality rate of 30-40 percent. In order to prevent gastric torsion, it's...
The events of recent weeks have reaffirmed the importance of cynologists in rescue teams. The rescuers' four-legged partners help search not only in rubble after natural disasters but also track missing or injured persons in inaccessible terrain. Now...
How to give first aid to your pet? We often don't find out until something happens. Fortunately, there are more and more courses for complete laypersons. During these specialized seminars or webinars, owners of four-legged friends can find out the...
