Dogs’ brains are sensitive to the familiar high-pitched “cute” voice tone that adult humans, especially women, use to talk to babies, according to a new study.
The research, published recently in the journal Communications Biology, found “exciting similarities” between infant and dog brains during the processing of speech with such a high-pitched tone feature.
Humans tend to speak with a specific speech style characterised by exaggerated prosody, or patterns of stress and intonation in a language, when communicating with individuals having limited language competence.
Such speech has previously been found to be very important for the healthy cognitive, social and language development of children, who are also tuned to such a high-pitched voice.
But researchers, including those from the Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary, hoped to assess whether dog brains are also sensitive to this way of communication.
In the study, conscious family dogs were made to listen to dog, infant and adult-directed speech recorded from 12 women and men in real-life interactions.
As the dogs listened, their brain activities were measured using a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan.
The study found the sound-processing regions of the dogs’ brains responded more to dog- and infant-directed than adult-directed speech.
This marked the first neurological evidence that dog brains are tuned to speech directed specifically at them.
“Studying how dog brains process dog-directed speech is exciting, because it can help us understand how exaggerated prosody contributes to efficient speech processing in a nonhuman species skilled at relying on different speech cues,” explained Anna Gergely, co-first author of the study.
Scientists also found dog- and infant-directed speech sensitivity of dog brains was more pronounced when the speakers were women, and was affected by voice pitch and its variation.
These findings suggest the way we speak to dogs matters, and that their brain is specifically sensitive to the higher-pitched voice tone typical to the female voice.
“Remarkably, the voice tone patterns characterizing women’s dog-directed speech are not typically used in dog-dog communication – our results may thus serve evidence for a neural preference that dogs developed during their domestication,” said Anna Gábor, co-first author of the study.
“Dog brains’ increased sensitivity to dog-directed speech spoken by women specifically may be due to the fact that women more often speak to dogs with exaggerated prosody than men,” Dr Gabor said.
A viral video showing the heartbreaking abandonment of a puppy profoundly moved a kind guy. He was motivated to act by his sympathy and set out on a search and rescue expedition for the mistreated dog
In a heartwarming twist of fate, a viral video that initially showcased the heartbreaking abandonment of a helpless dog on a roadside has now transformed into a story of hope and compassion, all thanks to the actions of one compassionate individual. This inspiring tale unfolded in the serene town of Itabira, Brazil, where a vigilant cyclist stumbled upon a small, distressed brown and white dog.
The person who captured this heart-wrenching scene initially found herself unable to take the dog with her, prompting her to rush home to retrieve her car. However, upon her return, the puppy had mysteriously disappeared, despite her relentless search efforts. Filled with deep concern and haunted by the image of the abandoned dog, she decided to share the video on Facebook, accompanied by a heartfelt comment expressing her fears for the dog’s welfare.
The video’s narra tor shared, “Ladies and gentlemen, this little puppy here has become the center of attention in Itabira, all thanks to this viral video. His story touched our hearts profoundly, compelling us to take immediate action. Presently, he is under our loving care, and we’ve provided him with nourishment and essential supplies. Now, he eagerly awaits a name, one that sets him apart from the rest.”
According to a local news outlet, the family that rescued the puppy is now actively seeking suggestions for his name. Among the options, including Pietro, Einstein, and Xerebebeu, “Pietro” has emerged as the most popular choice in recent polls.
What began as a heartbreaking story has now culminated in a heartwarming resolution, thanks to the compassion of an observant witness and the unwavering determination of a kind-hearted man who stepped in to save the dog. We encourage you to share this uplifting tale of dog rescue with your loved ones, as it serves as a reminder of the enduring power of hope and compassion in our world.
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