Dog brains are tuned to dog-directed speech spoken by women

[skinnydipper]

Dog brains are tuned to dog-directed speech spoken by women

Dogs show greater brain sensitivity to the speech directed at them than to adult-directed speech, especially if spoken by women, according to a new study in Communications Biology.

phys.org

 

[SilverLinings]

So an important bit was left out of the old saying then, 'dogs are WOmans best friend'

It is an interesting finding though; I wonder if because women have mainly been the child carers throughout history they have developed a way of speaking that works best with young children and animals, rather than the children (and animals) becoming tuned into it?

I have heard of dogs and horses that are said to be afraid of men - and often with no apparent reason to be - but not women, so maybe that is caused by the tone of the voice and not just body shape and posture. I wonder if horses are also more attentive to female voices than male?

 

[skinnydipper]

I wonder if because women have mainly been the child carers throughout history they have developed a way of speaking that works best with young children and animals,

I sometimes remind me of my mother.

If the big girl starts gobbing off in the garden I say “be quiet or you are coming in”. I don’t accept the excuse that others are also barking.

She stops and I can almost hear her whistling nonchalantly as she looks round as if to say who, me? before settling back down in her favourite spot under the magnolia as if it never happened.

 

[CorvusCorax]

It's probably to do with higher tone.

I often encourage men to 'get in touch with their feminine side' and be very silly with their dogs and not care what people on the other side of the fence think, some blokes really do struggle and think you have to bark orders at the dog and be as dynamic as a wet sock, in order for it to 'do what it's told'.

My old trainer always said that women handlers had a much better bond with their dog, but less control and vice versa. He could quite often be found rolling around on the floor with dogs climbing all over him and talking in a very silly high-pitched voice, he didn't give a hoot what people thought of him.

 

[Cortez]

It's a shame that man brains are apparently tuned in exactly the opposite direction.....oh sorry; was that sexist?

 

[Chucho]

This reminds me of my uncle, who is blessed with a very deep voice a bit like Brian Blessed, who cannot get our dogs to respond to even the most basic command for him. In spite of a lifetime of having his own dogs. When they ignore him, he then tries to get more vocally authoritative (think deeper tone and louder)... I then step in and ask them quietly, they respond. One day I finally explained to him, they don't understand a harsh tone, you need to imitate my voice. I caught him half an hour later, when he thought no one was watching, squeaking out 'sit' like Mickey Mouse. Diego's butt hit the floor with a resounding thump. LOL.