How ‘Singing’ Dogs Reveal the Evolutionary Origins of Musicality

Explore the #SingingDog hashtag on social media, and you’ll discover countless clips of dogs harmonizing to popular songs. But does this showcase true musicality?
Does dog howling indicate a genuine understanding of music?

This intriguing question was tackled by psychologist
Aniruddha Patel, a professor at Tufts University. His latest research reveals that some dogs can recognize pitch and modulate their vocalizations accordingly.

The inspiration for this study arose from the howling behavior of wolves.
“Howling resembles human singing as it involves sustained vocalizations,” Patel notes. Observations suggest that wolves use varying tones to create a collective sound, which may serve as a protective strategy against threats.

The researchers faced challenges in testing this behavior experimentally; therefore, they enlisted dog owners to record their pets’ howls to their favorite songs. This included recordings in both the original key and a version transposed three semitones higher and lower to assess the dogs’ responsiveness to pitch changes.

The focus was on two ancient breeds, the Samoyed and the Shiba Inu, believed to be more closely related to wolves than contemporary breeds. To ensure reliable results, each dog contributed a minimum of 30 howls in each transposed version, with each howl lasting at least one second.

All four Samoyeds in the study demonstrated a remarkable sensitivity to pitch, consistently adjusting their howls to new keys, though they did not achieve perfect harmony.

“They seem to be attempting to connect their sound to the music rather than simply providing a reflexive response,” Patel explains. You can view one of the participants, Luna, performing “Shallow” by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper
here.

Conversely, the two Shiba Inus appeared to be tone-deaf. Patel proposes, “Genetic variations among ancient breeds might predispose some individuals to howling,” although he acknowledges a larger sample size might yield more musical findings.

This discovery could illuminate the evolutionary roots of human music. While some theorists argue that song evolved from fine motor control in vocalizations, the dogs’ ability to control pitch without extensive vocal training suggests that language might not be an essential precursor. “The tendency to match pitch could have deep evolutionary origins, predating our sophisticated imitative capabilities,” Patel adds.

The motivation behind the dogs’ vocalizations remains unclear. “Based on observed videos, the dogs genuinely seem engaged with the music,” he states. They were not merely seeking treats from their owners but were gazing off thoughtfully. “Music appears to serve as a howling signal, placing them in a social mindset and encouraging participation.”

Researcher
Buddhamas Prale Kriengwattana from the University of Leuven in Belgium finds these findings fascinating but would welcome a broader sample for comparison. “I’d love to see comparisons between ancient and modern breeds,” she expresses.

Regarding the dogs’ somewhat off-pitch performances, she suggests various factors could influence pitch discrepancies. “Perhaps they want their voices heard when they sing,” she speculates.