Every person who has or has had the company of a puppy In life, you know the irresistible feeling of talking to these beloved animals with a “silly”, playful and high-pitched voice. It’s as if we think our four-legged friends share our human language.
We often use this intonation to make them obey or keep them calm and attentive in some way. Although it may seem strange, there is scientific evidence that indicates that this approach can indeed be successful, revealing a deep and instinctive connection between humans and dogs in this hundreds-of-years-long partnership.
Does talking ‘cute’ to dogs help with domestication?
Photo: Freepik
Recent research published in Communications Biology discovered a relationship between the way dogs and babies respond to language directed at them. When talking to babies or Petsour voice changes, adopting a high-pitched and attractive tone.
The authors of this study believe this may be an instinctive tactic to attract attention, since both babies and dogs may not understand our complex vocabulary. Furthermore, in the dog world, where the average vocabulary is limited to 89 words, effective communication requires more than just words.
Researchers conducted an intriguing experiment to investigate this theory: They used MRI to study the brain activity of dogs while they were exposed to different styles of exercise. human speech.
To carry out the study, a sample of 19 adult dogs was used, 11 of which were males and of different breeds. The dogs were trained to remain still during the MRI and were free to leave the machine at any time, ensuring their comfort. And the results were revealing.
Woman’s best friend
After testing, it was discovered that when humans used exaggerated prosody, that is, the typical captivating speech they direct at babies and pets, two areas of the dogs’ brains were especially activated. Interestingly, this effect was even greater when the person speaking was a woman!
Anna Gábor, co-author of the study, explains:
“The increased sensitivity of canine brains to canine speech spoken specifically by women may be due to the fact that women speak more frequently to dogs with exaggerated prosody than men,” he said.
The study also highlighted that women appear to have a greater impact on communication with dogs when using exaggerated prosody. This may be because women often adopt this style of talking to dogs more often than men.
