Study shows some dogs have true musical ability

Many viral videos show dogs “singing” with their owners. Our first instinct is to laugh, but a deeper dive shows that some dogs may actually have musical ability, listening along and trying to match the pitch in their own way.

Psychologist Aniruddh Patel from Tufts University in Massachusetts led a study to explore this idea. The goal was simple: Can dogs understand pitch, which is how high or low a sound is?

Dogs and musicality

The study focused on dogs that already liked to howl along with music. Owners played songs and recorded their dogs’ responses.

Then the same songs were played again, but with a slightly higher or lower pitch. This helped researchers see if dogs changed their howls based on what they heard.

Humans can easily change their voice when singing with others so that everyone sounds in tune. This skill comes naturally, even without training.

Because of this, scientists started thinking that animals might also have a simple version of this ability and could adjust their sounds when they hear other voices.

Inspiration from wolves

The idea came from wolves. In the wild, wolves howl together in groups. Each wolf produces a slightly different pitch. This creates a loud and complex sound.

This mixed sound may help wolves appear stronger as a group. It may also help them stay connected. Some scientists believe wolves adjust their pitch on purpose to create this effect.

Testing this idea in wild wolves is difficult. So researchers turned to dogs, especially breeds closer to wolves.

Why ancient breeds matter

The study focused on Samoyeds and Shiba Inus. These are ancient dog breeds with genetic links to wolves, which makes them useful for studying natural behaviors.

The team believed these dogs might show signs of pitch control. As the paper explains, ancient breeds “share more genetic similarity to wolves than do modern breeds.”

Dogs had to produce many howls to be included in the study. Each dog needed at least 30 howls for accurate results, ensuring the findings were reliable.

Musical dogs that howl in tune

The results were clear for Samoyeds. All four dogs in this group changed their howl pitch when the music changed. Some raised their pitch, while one lowered it.

The study states that Samoyeds “significantly changed mean vocal pitch when howling with music that had been shifted.” This means these dogs were not just reacting randomly.

Most importantly, these changes were not caused by excitement or mood. The length of their howls stayed the same. This shows that the pitch changes were controlled and meaningful.

The Shiba Inus showed a different pattern. These dogs did not change their pitch in the same way. Their howls stayed mostly the same, even when the music changed.

This suggests that not all dogs have the same ability. Genetics may play a role in how dogs respond to sound. A larger group of dogs could help confirm this idea.

Beyond human music skills

This study gives clues about the origin of music in humans. Humans can match pitch while singing together, and many experts thought this skill came from language abilities.

However, dogs do not have complex language, yet some can still adjust their pitch. The paper explains that this ability can evolve independently of complex vocal learning.

This means musical skills may be older than human language. Early humans may have used sound to connect with others before developing speech.

Music sounds like a call

Another question is why dogs howl along with music at all. One idea is that dogs treat music like a call from another animal.

When a dog hears music, it may feel like another voice is calling out. This can trigger a response, just like wolves howling together in a pack.

Dogs also appear focused when they howl. This shows that they are engaged with the sound, not just reacting for attention or rewards.

Musical dogs and animal behavior

This research opens new questions about animals and music. It shows that some animals may not only hear sounds but also respond in complex ways.

Studying dogs can help scientists learn more about the origins of music and communication. These findings suggest that music may not be unique to humans.

So the next time a dog howls along with a song, listen closely – it could be a simple form of musical ability evolving before our eyes.

The study is published in the journal Current Biology.

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