How to Talk to Dogs
Researchers say dogs are more likely to understand humans when they speak slowly.
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Researchers at the University of Geneva in Switzerland found that dogs have an easier time understanding humans who speak slowly. This is because dogs process, or take in, information much more slowly than people do.
The researchers studied the vocal sounds of 27 humans speaking to other people and 22 humans speaking to dogs. Some of the humans spoke English. The others spoke one of four other languages. The researchers also looked at the vocal sounds of 30 dogs. (Dogs make vocal sounds—like barks, whines, and growls—to communicate.)
They found that people speak at a rate of about four syllables per second. But when dogs are making vocal sounds, it’s at a rate of just two sounds per second. In other words, dogs communicate much more slowly than humans do.
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The researchers looked at how human brains and dog brains respond to speech. The study of dog brain waves showed that dogs respond better to slower speech. So a human who speaks slowly might find it easier to train their dog—or just let their dog know how much they care.
The research suggests humans and dogs process vocal sounds differently and that people may connect with their dogs better if they slow down their speech when speaking to their pets.
Experts say there are other things humans can do to help their dogs understand them. Dogs can learn words by connecting certain words with certain objects or actions. It’s important to use those same words every time instead of switching to other words that mean the same thing. A human’s tone of voice is also important.
