A new study says that dogs not only capture the words we say, but also our intention to communicate with them, as published by the researchers in 'Current Biology'. These findings could help explain why so many people treat their furry friends as if they were children., the receptivity of the dogs for communication is surprisingly similar to the responsiveness of young children, say scientists.
ยซThe increase in evidence supports the idea that human beings and dogs share some social skills; the sociocognitivo of canine behavior, for example, It resembles a child of between 6 months and 2 years of age, In many aspects ยป, says Jรณzsef Topรกl, of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, who adds that ยซthe use of ostensible signals is one of these characteristics: dogs, as well as human babies, They are sensitive to signs that indicate the communicative intention ยป. These signals include oral care and eye contact, although it is not yet clear whether dogs use similar pathways in the brain for signal processing..
Topรกl's team presented a group of dogs with video recordings of a person going to one of two identical plastic flower pots., While an eye tracker (tracking eye movement) capturing information about the reactions of the dogs. One of the times, the person looked at the dog directly contacting him with a voice; and a second time, the person addressed the dog in a lower tone, avoiding eye contact.
The data show that the dogs were more likely to listen and look at the pot when the person clearly expressed an intention to communicate. "Our findings reveal that dogs are receptive to human communication in a way that was attributed so far only to human babies", says Topรกl.
The results, without a doubt, confirm what many dog owners and trainers know, say researchers. It should be noted, However, This is the first study to use eye tracking to study the social skills of the dogs.
Via: canarias7
Photo: psicolocosmedicajmv