Trainers’ voices play a powerful role in shaping animal behavior, yet the mechanisms behind this effect have received limited attention. A 2023 study published in Animals analyzed 270 training sessions with nine mixed-breed dogs and nine socialized wolves to explore how different types of trainer speech influenced performance and emotional responses.
The research team, led by Melissa Gabriela Bravo Fonseca, categorized trainer speech into three types: nice, neutral, and reprehensive. They also examined acoustic features such as pitch. Dogs and wolves were observed for behavioral and physiological responses including tail movements, proximity to the trainer, retreat behavior, and cortisol variation.
Results revealed that longer use of nice speech increased the likelihood of tail wagging and encouraged both dogs and wolves to stay closer to the trainer. In contrast, reprehensive speech reduced correct responses in dogs and caused wolves to retreat more often. Neutral speech produced less marked effects.
Interestingly, dogs responded most strongly to higher-pitched voices, consistent with their attraction to dog-directed speech, while wolves were more influenced by lower intonations. Despite these differences, both subspecies showed improved cooperation and emotional responses in sessions with positive vocal tones. Cortisol variation did not show consistent changes across conditions, suggesting that speech primarily affected immediate behavior rather than long-term stress levels.
The findings highlight the importance of vocal tone as a training tool. Friendly, supportive speech can foster better performance and enhance the human–animal bond, while harsh tones may undermine trust and reduce effectiveness, particularly in sensitive or less domesticated animals such as wolves.
Source: Fonseca, M. G. B., Hilário, H., Kotrschal, K., Range, F., Virányi, Z., Duarte, M., Pereira, L. C. G., & Vasconcellos, A. S., Animals, March 1, 2023.
