Baby-Talking To Your Dog Helps Form A Bond
If you do, then you are one of the millions of fur baby owners who address their pup with a high-pitched tone known as infant-directed speech.
But did you know speaking to your beloved pet in the baby tone actually helps you two form a strong and unique bond?
In a study conducted at the University of York in the United Kingdom, researchers discovered that humans and pets form a bond the same way parents form bonds with their babies, through baby talk, according to Medical News Today.
The high tone of your voice tells your fur baby you care for them, and helps create a bond because dogs are more receptive toward those who address them with a higher voice.
It suggests happiness and love over a tone that remains in a normal speech register. Even what you say helps form a bond between you and your dog.
The study looked at how dogs react to people who address them in a normal speech register, those who use a higher tone, and those who use a higher tone with dog-relevant words.
Dogs were more likely to want to be around those who used a higher tone in their voice when speaking to them, but for the sake of ruling out whether the tone was the only thing dogs responded to, researchers had participants also speak non-related dog words in a high tone and dog-related words in a high tone.
Those who spoke in a high tone and also used dog-related words like “Good boy!” were preferred over those who used a high tone but didn’t necessarily direct their speech to the dog.
The dogs in the study showed more interest to hang out and interact with those who used the baby talk with dog-related words
Overall, the study concluded dogs do know when their owners are addressing them, and based on their tone know if their owner is pleased with them.
We all know the bond between a dog and human is amazing, and now we know a little bit about what makes that bond so strong. So speak up and baby talk your pup, he’s loving you for it.
