Scientific research explores how dogs recognize owners

Scientific studies suggest that dogs possess highly developed hearing that allows them to recognize their owners through specific acoustic characteristics. Research published in the journal Animal Cognition in 2022 demonstrated that dogs can distinguish their owner's voice from others even when the person is not visible.

While dogs can identify specific vocal patterns, there is currently insufficient scientific evidence to confirm they can reliably identify a person solely by the sound of their footsteps. However, dogs may learn to associate specific rhythmic patterns, walking speeds, and the sound of footsteps hitting a surface with a familiar person over time.