How to talk to your dog, according to science

I heard many dog lovers talking to their fur babies as they were some spoiled little kids. And I have to admit, I’m doing the same. But how effective is it?

At times, you might feel a little embarrassed to talk to your doggy in a high-pitched, baby-like voice. Well, guess what you should not be be! Talking to your pets as if they’re human is a sign of high intelligence. This is actually known as anthropomorphizing and occurs when you consider something that isn’t human to have human characteristics

And even if we wanted to stop talking this way, it would be very difficult. And the scientists found the reason.

A 2017 study asked 30 women to record their voice while reading phrases you might say to a dog, like “Hi cutie, who’s a good boy?”

The women recorded the phrases while looking at pictures of dogs and humans. When they looked at pictures of humans, their voice was normal, but as they looked at pictures of dogs and puppies, their voice got higher-pitched and more baby-like.

Talking to our dogs in this way is natural for us, and not because we’re so overwhelmed with their cuteness that we just can’t help it. Talking to them like this is the best way for them to understand us. Dogs are also very attentive. And you can see that in the way they look at you when you say something to them. You typically don’t get that with other pets.

However talking to dogs, doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re interested in discussing all boring thing we’re thinking about. A 2018 study out of Emory University found out that dogs are most likely listening and responding to us in hopes of making us happy, or in hopes of getting some food.

But that doesn’t mean they don’t understand, or don’t have their own language that they like to be spoken to in. A study from the University of York in England learned that talking to your dog with dog-directed speech and dog-related words is the best way to speak to them. The point is asking your dog “hey boy, want to go for a walk?!” Is much more appealing to them than saying “I just picked up groceries.”

The study concluded that is necessary to use both dog speech and dog-related words for it to work. Although it may seem obvious, the study found that talking like this is the best way to get your dog to listen to you. What’s less obvious is that it also creates a stronger bond between you and your pet.

So if you’re someone who talks to your dog as if you’re talking to a baby, you’re doing it right! And if you don’t, you should probably start.

Read the full article here https://www.goodnet.org

Spread the love