Eötvös Loránd University study finds dogs process speech using consonant bias

Researchers at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest have discovered that dogs process continuous human speech using a strategy similar to human infants: a “consonant bias.” According to a study published in the journal Science, dog brains synchronize more strongly with the rhythm of words when consonants form the underlying structure, rather than vowels.

Using non-invasive electroencephalography (EEG), scientists compared the brain activity of 20 humans and 20 companion dogs. The results showed that both species exhibited increased neural synchronization when listening to speech streams with recurring consonant patterns. This suggests that dogs, unlike many other mammals, can segment speech into individual words by listening for the “skeleton” of consonants.

The study also found that this ability was present in dogs regardless of whether they had early exposure to human language or were raised in shelters. Lead author Attila Andics noted that the finding provides evidence that speech can shape the brains of animals without requiring complex human-like linguistic abilities, potentially reflecting thousands of years of domestication and co-evolution.