Your dog may link sounds with shapes, just like you do
Reported by Phys.org · October 14 at 4:10 PM · Summary by Pawdeck
Researchers at the University of Parma in Italy tested 70 pet dogs, using made-up sounds "Bouba" and "Kiki" paired with rounded and spiky shapes. The dogs looked longer at rounded shapes when hearing "Bouba" and at spiky shapes when hearing "Kiki", suggesting dogs may link sounds with shapes as people do. The study was published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Background
The Bouba-Kiki effect is a well-known finding in psychology: most people match the sound "Bouba" with a rounded shape and "Kiki" with a spiky one, even though the words have no meaning. Animal studies of this kind are usually done by measuring where or how long an animal looks at different images, since dogs cannot report their choices in words.
Why it matters
It offers a glimpse into how dogs perceive and process the sounds and sights around them, which can inform how owners think about their dog's attention and learning.
Written by Pawdeck from the report by Phys.org. Background is general information, not advice about your pet; if you are worried, call your vet.
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