When it comes to taking care of a dog, most owners go above and beyond to make sure their pet is happy and healthy. But every now and then, we do something that upsets them - like accidentally stepping on their foot when we're walking around the house.
Thankfully, scientists have discovered how to apologise to our pets in a way they can actually understand - rather than simply telling them we're sorry. A study published in Animal Cognition shares how speaking in a baby voice - otherwise known as 'dog-directed speech (DDS) - can ease your pet's mind after tripping over their paws.
The research team studied 37 pet dogs from volunteers - with some being spoken to in a 'normal voice' while others were spoken to in a 'baby voice'. Measuring the amount of time the dogs were attentive to each volunteer, it was discovered those spoken to in a 'baby voice' stayed attentive for longer.
