Dogs are uniquely positioned among domestic animals for their extensive use of vocal communication with humans. According to Péter Pongrácz in a 2017 paper published in European Psychologist, the evolutionary path of barking reveals how domestication fundamentally altered canine vocal behavior.
Unlike their wolf ancestors, dogs produce a wider range of barks that vary in frequency, rhythm, and context. These changes are explained through mechanisms such as ritualization and adaptive radiation, which allowed barking to diversify and carry new meanings beyond its original use in wolves. Pongrácz argues that barking became especially suited for interspecific communication within the anthropogenic niche.
Human listeners are able to categorize dog barks by context—such as alarm, play, or isolation—and even infer dogs’ inner emotional states. Interestingly, dogs themselves respond differently: they are sensitive to the contextual and individual-specific features of barks, but they often ignore isolated bark sounds that humans easily recognize. This suggests that barking has developed a new role, one tailored more toward human comprehension than canine audiences.
The study concludes that the proliferation of barks in dogs represents a remarkable evolutionary adaptation. While wolves use limited vocalizations for specific situations, dogs employ barking in a variety of contexts—including calls seemingly directed at humans, like those of isolated individuals seeking contact. This highlights barking as an evolutionary innovation that bridges communication between species.
Source: Pongrácz, P. (2017). Modeling Evolutionary Changes in Information Transfer: Effects of Domestication on the Vocal Communication of Dogs (Canis familiaris). European Psychologist, 22, 219–232. Journal: European Psychologist. Author: Péter Pongrácz.
