Do our dogs understand us? They are generally thought to be able to associate different sounds or short words with specific actions, such as commands or positive words. Dogs learn through repetition, so if you repeat a word often, they will associate it with an action, command, or situation.
A new study carried out by OneBuy.com analyzed the impact of certain words or phrases on the mood of our dogs. The goal was to determine the dogs’ favorite words from a set of common words and short phrases, such as food, paw, or let’s go outside.
As part of the study, OneBuy surveyed 7,389 UK dog owners. They were given a list of 20 different phrases and words to try with their dog: dinner, lunch, eat, shush, pick up, fetch, fetch, toy, good boy, good girl, what’s that , dog name, find, come, biscuit, paw, talk, turn and go home. The 15 most popular dogs of each breed (10 breeds in total) were then selected, divided into 50 small dogs or puppies, 50 medium-sized dogs and 50 large dogs.
The walk is what they enjoy the most
To analyze the impact of each word on the dog, each dog’s resting heart rate was measured and averaged around 115 beats per minute. This heart rate was then measured again for each word spoken, and the average was calculated for all 150 dogs. So, as might be expected, the word walkies, associated with walking down the street, was all dogs’ favorite, resulting in a result of 156 beats per minute.
Some words don’t excite dogs, but instead make them sad or down.
The next word that excites dogs is “dinner” or “eat,” with 152 beats per minute. Treat, pick up, and fetch are three other commands that dogs like to hear because they are associated with something delicious or a game that amuses them. The list includes seven more words, the frequency of which is greater than 115 beats per minute: toy (bring your toy), good boy (good girl), what is it, its name, find it, cookie and paw.
Interestingly, four words in this list were below 115 beats per minute: come, talk, turn, and go home. These are words and orders that they don’t really like. By breed, five dogs showed the most excitement with positive words: French bulldogs, beagles, rottweilers, labradors and dachshunds.
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