Why Dogs Love Baby Talk

Do you talk to your pup just like you would a baby? Well, turns out, dogs love that! Studies show that dogs bond easily with humans who form high-pitched speech patterns. Just like babies, pups respond to easy and positive language interactions.

Oh Baby

Infant-directed speech or “baby talk” shows improved communication and engagement in regards to emotion show from humans to babies (or puppies)! Dog-directed speech is similar to this rhythmic register and is shown to have positive impacts on puppies.

Social bonding between dogs and humans occurs in mostly younger puppies as they are beginning to form relationships through first time interactions. Dogs are more attention driven to dog-related words or content when spoken in “baby talk” than when “baby talk” tone is used with non-dog related words. Consider how your dog responds to “Want to go on a walkie?” than when you say “Let’s go outside”. They likely are more enthusiastic when you use “baby talk”, especially if you began speaking to them like that when they were a puppy.

Usually, dogs love hearing their favorite words or phrases when you use a high-pitch, friendly tone, like “Treatie?”! Try talking to your pup in a generally more enthusiastic and lighter tone and see what happens!