Scientists discover dogs associate sounds with shapes like humans do

Dogs may process certain sounds in a way similar to humans, according to a study published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Researchers found that dogs tended to associate the invented word “Bouba” with rounded shapes and “Kiki” with pointed figures, a phenomenon previously documented in humans.

The study, led by animal behavior researcher Eleonora Biffi of the University of Parma in Italy, involved 70 domestic dogs. In experiments, researchers used screens, speakers and video recordings to track the animals’ reactions while controlling for possible influence from their owners. The dogs looked more often at rounded shapes when hearing “Bouba” and explored pointed shapes when hearing “Kiki.” The findings suggest that spontaneous sound-shape associations are not exclusive to humans and could offer new insights into how dogs process human communication