Humans Can Communicate with Dogs Using Soundboards

Research has emerged regarding the potential for dogs to communicate with humans via soundboards, reports The Guardian. This study is considered a vital initial step in exploring whether push-button devices can bridge the communication gap between humans and dogs. The researchers observed that dogs trained to use soundboards responded to pre-recorded words similarly to how they respond to spoken language.

Prof. Federico Rossano from the University of California San Diego led the study. He stated, "We show that dogs do pay attention to the soundboard words and produce appropriate behaviors independently of environmental cues." He emphasized that while the study may not be groundbreaking, it is an essential first step.

Push-button soundboards have gained immense popularity, particularly through social media. Videos featuring dogs, like Bunny, are prevalent online, fostering discussions among dog lovers. However, opinions vary on whether dogs are genuinely responding to the soundboard audio or merely reacting to cues from their owners.

In the journal Plos One, Rossano and his team describe two experiments involving 59 dogs trained to use these devices. In the first experiment, researchers covered the buttons on a dog’s soundboard, which was pre-recorded with words like "out," "play," and "food." Another researcher, unaware of the button associated with each word, pressed one while recording the dogs’ behavior.

A similar experiment followed with dog owners, who varied between pressing a button and saying a word aloud. The results showed that the likelihood of dogs engaging in play-related behaviors rose significantly when the play/toy button was pressed. However, pressing the food button did not increase their food-related behaviors.

The findings indicate that dog responses remained consistent regardless of whether a researcher or owner pressed the buttons. This data suggests that dogs may genuinely understand the cues from the soundboard. The researchers now aim to investigate if dogs can select the correct button for various situations, aiming to enhance insight into canine word comprehension.

Prof. Clive Wynne, director of the Canine Science Collaboratory at Arizona State University, viewed the findings skeptically, calling it a "nothing burger." He remarked on the lack of surprising results, noting that the dogs only showed a successful response to two of the three familiar words they studied.

Dr. Mélissa Berthet from the University of Zürich acknowledged the study's significance. She stated that it refuted claims that dogs did not respond to the audio from the soundboards. She believes the scientific community awaits future research to build on these promising initial findings.

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