Experts have explained the best way to apologise to your dog if you accidentally hurt it - using a way they can understand rather than simply telling them we're sorry. A study published in Animal Cognition says speaking in a baby voice - otherwise known as 'dog-directed speech' (DDS) - can ease your pet's mind'.
The research team studied pet dogs from volunteers with some being spoken to in a 'normal voice' while others were spoken to in a 'baby voice'. Those spoken to in a baby voice stayed attentive for longer.
A researcher wrote: "Overall, the results of this study suggest that naturalistic DDS, comprising of both dog-directed [speech patterns] and dog-relevant content words, improves dogs' attention and may strengthen the affiliative bond between humans and their pets."
