Canine science is increasing. More scientists devote their resources and time to understanding the insides of your best furry friends that have bonded so closely with humans. From canine biology to canine psychology, you know more than ever about your four-legged friends and their behavior.
What do dogs say when they bark?
Although dogs bark for a variety of reasons, biologists used to think that their barking didn’t alter depending on the message. More recently, however, research into canine biology has found that dogs’ vocal cords are elastic. This gives them the ability to slightly alter the sound of their bark to convey different meanings. This is according to Scientific American.
Spectrographic recordings of dog barks have presented differences in amplitude, timing, and pitch that differ with context. The fact is that it’s yet unclear to scientists what these different growls and barks mean. Experiments have revealed that dogs respond differently to vocalizations of other dogs depending on the context. Other experiments have shown that dogs and humans are more likely to respond to “stranger bark” of a dog compared to other types of barking.
Why are there so many different types of dogs and what kind of dog breeds are there?
Dogs are one of the most diverse species on the planet. For all their diversity in color, shape, size, and temperament, scientists believe dogs were genetically derived from wolves around 27,000 years ago. You can thank the dominant genes in hunter-gatherer animals that manipulated their expression in subsequent canine generations.
What kind of dog breeds are there? Although this practice has been around for nearly as long as canines have been domesticated, breeding of selective dog exploded in the 1800s. It is when people began breeding different breeds for novelty and aesthetic reasons. As this practice continues to this day, the number of dog breeds and variety of species continues to increase.
Dogs are undoubtedly special, and so is the bond you share with them. As canine science continues to grow, you’re learning more and more about your favorite furry companions. But there’s one thing you don’t need to let science tell you. Science doesn’t have to tell how amazing your dogs are, every single one of them.