Special speak: Dog owners have voices that they reserve just for their furry friends
May 23, 2013
Ashton BridgesOur survey for Kibbles ‘n Bits finds most dog owners using a special voice when speaking to their pets, often to get something they want and sometimes even accidentally talking this way with their loved ones. And for many, this unique way of communicating goes both ways, with dogs employing different barks to let their owners know when it should be mealtime.
It’s hard to fully communicate with those that can’t speak, yet pets and their parents have such a close relationship that they can easily find ways to let each other know what they’re thinking. Our survey for Kibbles ‘n Bits finds most dog owners using a special voice when speaking to their pets, often to get something they want and sometimes even accidentally talking this way with their loved ones. And for many, this unique way of communicating goes both ways, with dogs employing different barks to let their owners know when it should be mealtime.
We found that the special connection is so deep that over two in five dog owners who are in relationships believe they communicate better with their dogs than with their significant others. More than nine in ten dog owners are confident that their dogs could pick their voices out of a crowd. 75 percent of our respondents admitted to having a special voice reserved only for their pups, though 38 percent have accidentally spoken to someone else using their doggie voice.
It seems that these owners have strong thoughts on which famous voices would their dogs have if they could speak like humans. According to this USA Today article, more than one-third of those with female dogs think their canine would most sound like Whoopi Goldberg, and more than one quarter of those with male pups think their dogs would sound like Morgan Freeman.