Your Dog Knows What You’re Saying & This Is Proven!
Most people who really love their pets tend to treat them like toddlers. They might quietly say words like “vet” or use a different tone to prevent the dog or cat from getting nervous. As much as we all like to think we are outsmarting our pets by doing this, studies at the Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest don’t confirm that theory. So, when you happily ask your dog if he is ready to go to the vet, and he heads straight for the dog door, now you know why.
FMRI Responses
In order to measure whether or not dogs recognized specific words, their brain activity was measured using an fMRI. What was revealed was a bit surprising. Dogs use the same parts of their brains to understand human methods of communication as humans do. The left hemisphere interprets the language, while the right hemisphere interprets auditory cues like tone and inflection. And, like humans, the rewards center has a party when praise is given.
Matching Words to Meaning
Since dogs do recognize words, tone, and inflection, you aren’t doing your pet any favors by trying to fool him or her. No matter how excited you try to appear when you say “shots” or “vet,” if your pet has a negative association with those words, your happy tone isn’t going to improve things. In fact, it is more likely to confuse the pet, who might wonder why you are so happy to partake in this negative experience.
Unmeasured Responses
Maybe you’re reading this in disbelief, because you have seen your dog respond to your anxiety in certain circumstances, regardless of the words you used. What you are thinking of is not direct communication, but subconscious communication. In other words, your pet may pick up on cues that you don’t even see.
Some studies suggest they can actually interpret energy levels and changes in the body, such as when dogs know a person is going to have a seizure. These are things that your body does which you cannot control. That means it is possible that your dog senses your anxiety when you say “vet,” even if you say it in a perky manner.
Based on the information here, you may need to change your technique. When you want to coax your dog to come in the dog door so you can go to the vet, don’t mention the vet, but instead talk about the trip to the park you have planned for after the vet visit. For pet supplies or more information on communicating with your dog, visit Australia Pet Doors today.
