Talking to our pet is normal (and customary) on a daily basis. There are people telling them about their lives, others praising the dog with countless compliments, and there are those who prefer to have a fluent conversation knowing they won’t get any answers (what else to give). The Royal Society Open Science journal concluded: dogs can distinguish human speech and the sound of another dog showing it respond very differently to stimuli produced by humans. So when our dog looks at us with wide eyes and turns his head, it may mean that he understands more than we think…
Previous studies had shown that the animal had evolved over the years to recognize human voices—although it wasn’t clear how the dog’s brain processes such sounds. This new study using MRI scans revealed that dogs can match human voices with their expressions. Anna BalintA canine neuroscientist at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest conducted an experiment with a total of 17 dogs of different breeds that he had previously trained with the sole purpose of placing electrodes on their heads and keeping them still for as long as possible. to perform the test.
The study was conducted with a total of 17 previously trained dogs of different breeds (Photo: Samson Katt for Pexels)
By measuring brain waves using an electroencephalogram, various sounds made by humans—laughter, for example—and barking or sniffing by other dogs were reproduced. The result of these sounds was divided into two groups of emotions: positive and neutral. In this way, the researchers noticed that the dogs responded in the first 250 to 650 milliseconds after the stimulus. By appreciating a change in the animals’ brain waves, that means they are trying to find out who made the sound to assess what their response should be. In addition, when they heard human voices, their brain waves changed compared to other dog voices.
They varied by sound by measuring brain waves (Photo: Karolina Grabowska for Pexels)
Thus, “the waves were more electrically positive in response to human vocalizations and more negative in response to dog vocalizations.” This study could be an invaluable tool to better understand the mechanisms underlying the animal’s cognitive processes.
Main photo | cotton sister
Photos | Samson Katt, Karolina Grabowska
Source: Trendencias
