For humans, language sounds are fairly arbitrary. There is no set of words that have a common meaning for all members of our species. Many different sounds, in different languages, can mean the same thing. The sounds associated with the words, perro, chien, Hund, and "dog," all mean the same thing, there is virtually nothing in common among the sound patterns that make up their words. Show Source: SC Psychological Enterprises Ltd The sounds that animals use to communicate with each other, however, have much more uniformity. These sounds are different for different species, but (except for certain regional "dialects" among birds) within any one animal type, there seems to be some sort of fairly common or universal language and there appears to be a universal sound code used by most animals. It is based on three dimensions: the pitch of the sound, the duration of the sound, and the frequency or repetition rate of the sounds.
For example, take two empty water tumblers, one large and one small and tap each with a spoon. The large one gives a lower-pitched ringing sound. Obviously, a dog does not change his size simply by changing the pitch of his sound signals. So, why would the receiver of this signal respond to these pitch variations at all, since they often do not represent the physical reality? Now here is where evolution and the development of communication begin to weave their magic. Suppose that you are an animal who is sending signals to those around you. Since you know that other animals are paying attention to the pitch of your signals you can now deliberately use that as a means of communication. If you want to make another animal move away, or to stay out of your territory, you could send a lower-pitched signal, like a growl, suggesting that you are larger and more dangerous. Conversely, you could also use a high pitched signal, like a whimper, to suggest that you are rather small, and therefore it is quite safe to approach you. Similarly, even if you are large, if you wish to signal that you intended no threat or harm when you approached another animal, you could indicate that you intended to act as a small harmless creature by whimpering or whining.
Barking is an alarm sound. There is no threat of aggression signaled by the dog unless it is lower-pitched and mixed with growls. Let's consider the interpretation of the most common barks.
Stanley Coren is the author of many books includingBorn to Bark, The Modern Dog, Why Do Dogs Have Wet Noses? The Pawprints of History. Copyright SC Psychological Enterprises Ltd. May not be reprinted or reposted without permission What does it mean if my dog barks at nothing?Dogs Can Hear High-Pitched Sounds
That means there is a whole realm of sound flooding your dog's eardrums that you aren't even aware of. So, when it seems like your dog is barking at nothing, it could actually be a response to noises you can't hear.
Do dogs bark for a reason?Why do dogs bark? Barking is a very normal behaviour for dogs – after all, they can't speak to us, so this is how they communicate. Dogs may bark when calling out to other dogs, expressing emotion, being territorial or when trying to grab their owner's attention.
Do dogs understand each other when they bark?Dogs use their barks to show how they feel and to communicate with other dogs. The reason behind their bark can change depending on the situation. Excessive barking, however, can be more than annoying: it may be a behavioral problem.
Does barking mean aggression?Barking is an alarm sound. There is no threat of aggression signaled by the dog unless it is lower-pitched and mixed with growls.
|