Babies Understand Dogs, Bark-matching Study Finds

sciencedaily ^ | July 21, 2009

[JoeProBono]

New research shows babies have a handle on the meaning of different dog barks – despite little or no previous exposure to dogs.

Infants just 6 months old can match the sounds of an angry snarl and a friendly yap to photos of dogs displaying threatening and welcoming body language.

The new findings come on the heels of a study from the same Brigham Young University lab showing that infants can detect mood swings in Beethoven’s music.

Though the mix of dogs and babies sounds silly, experiments of this kind help us understand how babies learn so rapidly. Long before they master speech, babies recognize and respond to the tone of what’s going on around them.

“Emotion is one of the first things babies pick up on in their social world,” said BYU psychology professor Ross Flom, lead author of the study.

[andy58-in-nh]

I copied that image for my daughter -beyond cute.

[yorkie]

[Lady Jag]

Dogs and children often steal my heart.

[Fire_on_High]

One of our cats likes to arrange himself thusly. Always a question of what you’ll see when you wake up...two bright kitty eyes or one “brown eye”.

[Lady Jag]

Be right with ya, Yorkie

[andy58-in-nh]

You and me both. ;-)

[Lady Jag]

The difference between cats and dogs on this is cats do it on purpose.

Cat:   Ever seen this before?

[Daffynition]

[Slings and Arrows]

---

[a fool in paradise]

Don’t hire that rootbeer, the dog is only going to rent it.

[Eaker]

There is usually an douche bag on every thread.

I guess it was your turn or you always one?

[Lady Jag]

NO SMITING CATS!

[TASMANIANRED]

That’s a heart melter.

Twit researchers assume babies are empty headed.

They like dogs are very into tone and gesture.

You can make a baby cry just by saying “poor baby” in the proper tone.

[TASMANIANRED]

That should be captioned : First Kiss.

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

More support for my suspicion that the symbiotic relationship between humans and dogs is hard-wired.

[JoeProBono]

[Lady Jag]

That’s the nanny introducing herself. The baby’s first canine blessing.

[Slings and Arrows]

Don’t tell me. Tell the dog.

[Titan Magroyne]

Great thread, enjoy the pix!

Drummie, I tried for the pic of Mikey & Olive kissing, but couldn’t find that sucker.

[Lady Jag]

Don’t tell me. Tell the dog.

I assumed you had the dog in control.

Alright then. But you started it.