Our voices are as unique as our fingerprints. Scientific study has shown that dogs are actually able to understand voices and human language on a much deeper level than originally thought.
Recognising what is said
Dogs have a perception of individual human voices, especially recognising their owners or carers. They respond to tone, volume and expression, as well as many specific words. Interestingly, there are differences between puppiesâ and adult dogsâ responses to peopleâs voices.
With dogs being so responsive to human voices, it is logical that dog products that feature and leverage this, have great potential. Now fast-developing new technologies are enabling the use of human voices in products at an affordable cost.
Human voices â most often the pet ownerâs voice â already feature in a number of dog products. Relying on a positive association between the dog and the voice, products are used for monitoring, training, calming, communication and play. They mostly utilise recorded voices.
Designed to monitor dogs while the owner is away, the Digital Dogsitter is a web app that âlistensâ to the dog through a microphone. The app software tracks the sound and location of the dog and allows the owner to record their own voice. When the dog barks, the ownerâs voice calms it down.
Recordable sound buttons emit the ownerâs recorded voice when pressed by the dog. The sound and voice become a reward. Examples include Talking Dog Buttons from Talking Products.
Apps and collar devices enable the owner to record their own voice to playback to the dog at set times to relieve separation anxiety, such as The Pet Companion, Voice Recording Collar Unit from PetTag.
To enhance owner-dog communication, there are even translator apps available which record the dogâs barks and other sounds and translate these into the âhumanâ equivalent, and vice versa.
There are several ârecord your voiceâ dog toys and dog toy inserts that enable the owners to record their voice in a toy, such as those from Celebrity Pet Toys.
Unique bond
The appeal of voice products for dogs leverages the fact that they are highly personalised. However, key to achieving success in monitoring, training and calming objectives is that there is a good bond between the dog and its owner.
Advanced voice tech: essential for success
In developing voice products for dogs, it is essential that the voice recording used is of the best quality. This has to do with the fact that dogsâ hearing and understanding of human voices is extremely sensitive. The tech used must be able to capture and play the ownerâs voice to perfection for it to be understood by the dog.
As in all pet accessories, safety is paramount. There is much research that has been done into investigating dogsâ voice responses. From a functional and marketing perspective, any new product stands a better chance of success if it utilises, and can be related to, such scientific evidence.
The latest articles
Digital boosts revenue of Petz in Q1 2024
The Brazilian pet retailer posted an online gross revenue increase of 16.6% vs. a drop of 6.1% in its physical stores.
Russia’s pet population has risen 11% since 2020
New data reveals that last year, more than half of households in the country owned a pet. GlobalPETS dives into the insights.
The American Kennel Club acquires grooming certification program
The Professional Grooming Credential is a voluntary scheme to validate pet groomers’ knowledge and technical skills.
Weekly newsletter to stay up-to-date
Discover what’s happening in the pet industry. Get the must-read stories and insights in your inbox.