Dogs can tune out noise, just like people at cocktail parties
This discovery is useful for handlers of working dogs, who often have to summon their canines in chaotic situations.
People have an uncanny ability to discern their own names amid lots of noise, something scientists call "the cocktail party effect."
Now, new research has found that dogs can do it, too—even better than human babies.
In recent experiments at the University of Maryland, scientists found that our furry companions can perceive their name spoken at the same intensity as or louder than background noise.
The canines also recognized their own names when spoken by an unfamiliar voice and through a loudspeaker—suggesting they were not responding to a person’s body language, tone of voice, or other cues. (Read about how dogs pick up on human emotions.)
This is valuable insight for people handling working and service dogs, who may need
