Study Reveals Dogs Understand Us Better if We Speak Slower

Are you trying to train your pup but feel like there is a communication breakdown? Do you worry that the language barrier could keep you from connecting and allowing you to be on the same page?

While there is still a lot of study being done about how much of our spoken languages a dog can understand (or even speak with the rise of the talking buttons), a new study has revealed that the speed you speak may have a direct impact on their ability to comprehend what you are asking.

The study was conducted by Eloise Deaux and her colleagues out of the University of Geneva in Switzerland. They analyzed the vocal sounds of 30 dogs and 27 humans across five languages, tracking their speech rate and the corresponding brain responses.

It revealed that humans and dogs connect and respond best to very different speech tempos. In analyzing the neural responses of the two, the researchers found that dogs focus on slower rhythms while humans focus more when the rhythm is faster. As a result of this, humans generally talk much faster than their canine counterparts.

According to the research, the average human speech rate is approximately four syllables per second. In comparison, the dogs studied would bark, whine, and growl at an average rate of two vocalizations per second.

“What’s further interesting,” the authors of the study wrote, “is that while dogs use slow rhythm to process speech and contrary to popular beliefs, they need both content and prosody to successfully comprehend it.”

( Prosody: The rhythm, melody, and intonation used in speech and language. This refers to the speed at which you speak and the changing tone of your voice throughout your conversation.)

What does this mean for you as a dog parent?

Changing the speed at which you’re speaking isn’t going to magically make your dog understand your spoken language. Although, we wish it would. How much easier would it be if our dogs could understand us or reply with clear, vocal answers? It would solve SO many challenges we face in our lives together! However, understanding how your dog processes vocal communication can help you better connect with them by adjusting your speech to set our canine companions up for success.

Whether you are trying to teach a new puppy basic obedience skills like sit, stay, and down or working on more advanced trick training, you can improve your chances of success by speaking slower when giving commands.

The next time you kick off a training session, take a moment to take a deep breath and ensure you feel calm and relaxed. Trying to work with your dog when you are highly stressed or anxious not only increases the chance that you will feel frustrated if they are struggling to pick something up, but it can also cause you to speak faster, further reducing the chance your dog is going to understand what you are asking of them.

Instead, focus on making your training sessions fun and relaxed, focusing on quality time together and strengthening that all-too-important human-animal bond.

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