A recent study from Hungary has revealed that dogs have the ability to recognize their owners by voice alone. Published in Animal Behaviour, the research provides the first solid evidence that dogs can distinguish between human voices on an individual level, a skill previously demonstrated only in species like rhesus macaques and horses.
The experiment, conducted by researchers at the ELTE Department of Ethology, aimed to determine whether dogs could match pre-recorded speech to their familiar human companions. The study involved 31 dogs, each with three family members equally familiar to them. The dogs were tested on their ability to associate a voice to its corresponding owner.
During the test, each owner’s voice was recorded and played through loudspeakers while the owners sat together without speaking or gesturing. The dogs were then observed to see if they could choose the correct person based on the voice they heard. The results were impressive—dogs reliably chose the right owner and looked longer at the person whose voice was playing.
Anna Gábo, one of the lead researchers, explained, “Dogs performed well; they chose more often and looked longer at the person whose voice they heard.” The findings showed that dogs could recognize all three owners, with the strongest response occurring when they heard the voice of their main owner, likely due to more frequent vocal interactions with them.
This discovery sheds new light on dogs’ advanced social recognition skills, further demonstrating their deep connection and sensitivity to their human companions.