THE ISSUE:
Dogs know what you're saying, study suggests
BERLIN (AP) — Scientists have found evidence to support what many dog owners have long believed: Man's best friend really does understand some of what we're saying.
Researchers in Hungary scanned the brains of dogs as they were listening to their trainer speaking to determine which parts of the brain they were using.
They found that dogs processed words with the left hemisphere and used the right hemisphere to process pitch — just like people.
What's more, the dogs only registered that they were being praised if the words and pitch were positive. Meaningless words spoken in an encouraging voice, or meaningful words in a neutral tone, didn't have the same effect.
"Dog brains care about both what we say and how we say it," said lead researcher Attila Andics, a neuroscientist at Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, in an email. "Praise can work as a reward only if both word meaning and intonation match."
Andics said the findings suggest that the mental ability to process language evolved earlier than previously believed and that what sets humans apart from other species is the invention of words.
Dogs have socialized with humans for thousands of years, meaning they are more attentive to what people say to them and how.
Student Reactions
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Gracie Gilbert, freshman musical theatre major "My dogs can always tell when my dad is talking to them because his voice is lower, so they know he means business," Gilbert said. "When I talk to my dogs, it's like 'oh come here puppy' — I kind of talk to them like they're babies, and I think they love me more." |
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Jimmy Ray, sophomore sports administration major:
"That's really cool! I don't own a dog, so I'm not for sure [if it's true], but I know cats don't have [that ability] because my cat doesn't listen very well," Ray said. "I think dogs are smarter." |
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Tanesha Burrell, junior visual communication major
"I think that dogs do understand people's tone because I know for sure if I'm stern to my dog, she starts to cower," Burrell said. |
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Austin Bolles, sophomore computer science major
"I have two huskies at home [and] they absolutely understand," Bolles said. "They can understand my mother's voice and my voice — they can tell who's in the room at what time. I absolutely believe that's true." |
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