A new study is underway from the University of Cambridge which examines whether the human brain and the brain of dogs emit on the same wavelength.

Calisto, a retriever, is one of about 40 pet dogs participating in the study to see if their brain cells synchronize with their owners’ when they interact, a phenomenon previously observed when two humans interact with each other.

According to the researchers such synchronicity suggests that person and pet are paying attention to the same things and in some cases interpret moments in a similar way. In other words, owner and dog are truly on the same wavelength.

Dr Valdas Noreika from the University of Cambridge said he got the idea for the study after working in similar experiments such as with mothers and their babies, where synchronization has been observed.

“Owners shape their language in a similar way as parents do when speaking to children,” he said.

“There are many similarities. That could be one of the reasons why we bond so much with dogs – because we already have these cognitive functions and abilities to connect with someone who is smaller or needs help or attention.”

However, Dr Eleanor Raffan, another member of the Cambridge team, noted that some experts urge caution about the human-dog relationship, mainly because it is easy to impose human motivations and ways of thinking on our pets.

“I think what would be great would be to prove that this connection exists,” he said.

How is the study done?

The study involves making electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings – a non-invasive and painless technique that has also been used on parents and babies.

In the case of humans, a cover with holes is placed over the participant’s head. The holes are filled with a gel and an electrode is attached to each one – 32 in total. For dogs, a harmless white paste is used to temporarily hold a smaller array of 10 electrodes on their head, with a rubber cover applied for extra security.

“Both EEG caps are receivers, so they only detect electrical signals. They don’t generate any electricity at all,” said Ben Keep, a research assistant on the project.

It is also noted that the people who participated in the research were not the owners of the dogs.

The two investigators, Keep and Noreika dim the lights, Castilo lies down on the carpet. That part of the study, Keep said, allowed the participants to relax and get used to the covers on their heads while making sure the electrodes were properly attached. It also allowed the team to monitor brain activity while recording the twins’ behavior. Crucially, it also allowed the researchers to look for specific markers that were unlikely to arise from muscle activity – such as the alpha brain waves that occur when we are relaxed.

Then, a sequence of sounds was heard.

“The brain responds to deviant tones in a specific way that muscles would not,” Keep said.

Following the experiment, the owner was asked to switch their attention, indicatively, between interacting with their dog by either looking at their phone, talking to a researcher, or stroking a cuddly toy. In another test, the team records what happens when the owner briefly leaves the dog.

The idea is that brainwave synchrony should increase and decrease as attention shifts toward and away from the animal. If brainwave synchronization is found, the team hopes to unravel the phenomenon further. Synchronized brain waves, for example, usually show a slight shift, indicating that one participant is leading the interaction.

“These timing studies [μας] they allow us to assess who is driving who,” Noreika said.

Dr. Colleen Dell of the University of Saskatchewan, who was not involved in the research, said brainwave synchronization could complement body language as an indicator of a dog’s contentment and happiness.

“If the results are positive – showing that there is synchronization of brain waves between dogs and humans – then it also raises the possibility of cross-species communication,” he said.

But, Dell cautioned, the research is looking at very specific areas of the brain.

“We really know very little about the human brain and its capacity, and much less about dogs,” he said. “But again, just asking the question I think is brilliant because it recognizes the existence of the human-animal bond and from there how some sense is experienced for both the human and the dog.”