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NEW YORK (FOX5NY.COM) - In many ways, people like to treat their fur-babies, the same way as real babies. You'll find proof at Shelby Semel's dog training class at Spot Canine Club.
"I think that we talk to dogs the way we talk to babies because we love them," Semel said.
It turns out that dog parents aren't the only ones who take joy in baby talk. A new study, conducted by the University of York in the United Kingdom, suggests dogs may actually appreciate the use of "dog-directed speech."
"It's making them interested," Semel said. "It's getting them excited."
Previous studies have said that talking in that high-pitch voice with exaggerated emotion improves engagement with puppies, but made little difference with adult dogs. This experiment, however, which had humans in the same room as the dogs, instead of using a speaker's voice, showed that the older dogs prefer it, too.
The study found that dog-directed speech was most effective when it contained dog-related words, like "walk" or "good boy." That was the only time these adult dogs showed true preference and a desire to interact.
But the owners we met at Spot Canine Club said they beg to differ.