Scientists say that babies understand dogs
Babies as young as six months old are able to understand the meaning behind different dog barks, it has been claimed.Boffins say that, even with no previous exposure to dogs, youngsters are able to recognize a angry snarl from a friendly yap.
The team from Brigham Young University showed infants two different pictures of the same dog - one in an aggressive posture and the other in a friendly stance - as they were played matching sounds.
6-month-old babies spent most of their time staring at the appropriate picture while older babies were said to make the connection instantly with their very first glance.
"Emotion is one of the first things babies pick up on in their social world," said psychology professor Ross Flom.
"We chose dogs because they are highly communicative creatures both in their posture and the nature of their bark.
"They only had one trial because we didn't want them to learn it on the fly and figure it out."
LINKS
Brigham Young University
"We chose dogs because they are highly communicative creatures both in their posture and the nature of their bark.
"They only had one trial because we didn't want them to learn it on the fly and figure it out."
LINKS
Brigham Young University
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