University explores barking dogs

The university's research may help dog owners to understand their pets

New research is under way at the University of Sussex to help understand what a dog means when it barks.

Analysts are using modern technology to find out whether dogs communicate in different ways in an attempt to help owners better understand their pets.

"The more we know about our animals the better their welfare is going to be", said research student Anna Taylor.

Dog growls are made up of components called formants, which form the basis of vowel sounds in human speech.

The university said it is believed the formants convey information about the dog making them.

So far 41 dogs have been recorded but researchers are looking for a further 260 volunteers.

Hopefully this research will help to reveal scientifically what man's best friend is really saying Research student Anna Taylor

The project was started by Ms Taylor and is taking place at the university's psychology department.

She is inviting more dog owners to sign up for the experiment.

"I'll need dogs of all shapes and sizes, and I'd also like the dogs to be friendly and noisy," Ms Taylor said.

She is investigating whether formants are related to the length of each dog's vocal tract, to establish whether it is linked to the size of the animal and ultimately what it is trying to communicate.

"Hopefully this research will help to reveal scientifically what man's best friend is really saying," she added.