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Dogs prefer ‘baby-talk’ to adult speech, study shows
This is the first neural evidence that dogs are tuned to speech that is directed specifically to them.

They may also listen better to female speakers.

A study has revealed that dogs respond better to ‘baby-talk’ or ‘dog-talk’ than normal adult speech.

The research aimed to discover if dogs’ brains, being of limited linguistic competence, were sensitive to different speech styles, much in the way that infants are.

Infant-directed speech, often characterised by exaggerated prosody, is considered important to a child’s cognitive, social and language development.

The study investigated if dogs had similar responses to infant-directed or dog-directed speech.

To examine this, researchers used a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) machine to measure the brain activity of trained, conscious family dogs listening to different styles of speech.

The dogs heard dog-, infant- and adult-directed speech that had been recorded from 12 women and 12 men in real-life interactions.

The results showed that the dogs’ auditory brain regions responded more to dog-directed and infant-directed speech than to adult-directed speech.

This is the first neural evidence that dogs are tuned to speech that is directed specifically to them.

Furthermore, the data also showed that the dogs’ speech sensitivity was more pronounced when listening to dog-directed or infant-directed speech that was spoken by women, being affected by voice pitch and variation.

This neurone sensitivity to pitch and tone may explain why domesticated dogs outperform other animals when processing speech.

The investigation was conducted by researchers at Eötvös Loránd University’s Department of Ethology, the Research Centre for Natural Sciences and the Eötvös Loránd Research Network.

Anna Gergely, co-first author of the study, said: “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 non-human species skilled at relying on different speech cues (e.g. follow verbal commands).”

Anna Gábor, co-first author of the study, said: “What makes this result particularly interesting is that in dogs, as opposed to infants, this sensitivity cannot be explained by either ancient responsiveness to conspecific signals or by intrauterine exposure to women's voice[s].

“Remarkably, the voice tone patterns characterising 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.”

The full study can be found in the journal Communications Biology.

Image (C) Shutterstock

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Webinar to explore history of KC breed registers

News Story 1
 A free webinar exploring the development of the Kennel Club's registration system and the evolution of closed breed registers has been announced.

Hosted by Dr Alison Skipper, veterinary and research advisor at the Kennel Club, the webinar will delve into the development of the registry and how the changing landscape of scientific knowledge has shaped breeding practices. It will also look at what this means for the future of pedigree dogs.

The session will culminate with a look at The Kennel Club's ongoing and future engagement in this area, with a chance for attendees to put forward their thoughts and questions for discussion.

This event takes place on Microsoft Teams on Tuesday, 10 June at 7pm. To learn more, visit events.teams.microsoft.com  

Click here for more...
News Shorts
UK's BSE risk status downgraded

The WOAH has downgraded the UK's international risk status for BSE to 'negligible'.

Defra says that the UK's improved risk status recognises the reputation for having the highest standards for biosecurity. It adds that it demonstrates decades of rigorous animal control.

Outbreaks of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease, have previously resulted in bans on Britain's beef exports.

The UK's new status could lead to expanded trade and better confidence in British beef.

Christine Middlemiss, the UK's chief veterinary officer, said: "WOAH's recognition of the UK as negligible risk for BSE is a significant milestone and is a testament to the UK's strong biosecurity measures and the hard work and vigilance of farmers and livestock keepers across the country who have all played their part in managing the spread of this disease.