A study involving 70 dogs showed that these animals, like humans, are capable of linking certain sounds to specific shapes — the Bouba-Kiki effect. The work was presented on the Onda Cero radio programme "Como el perro y el gato" on 24 October 2026.
Dogs more often associated the invented word "Bouba" with rounded figures, and "Kiki" with pointed ones. This discovery points to a similarity in the perception of sounds and shapes between dogs and humans.
Although the details of the methodology are not specified, the result indicates dogs' capacity for cross-modal perception. Previously, the Bouba-Kiki effect was considered a predominantly human trait linked to the processing of speech and visual images.
For owners, this means that dogs may respond not only to intonation but also to the sound structure of words. Such data help to better understand the cognitive abilities of pets and to develop methods of training and communication.
The discovery raises new questions about perception, information processing and the cognitive abilities of dogs, expanding ideas about how our four-legged friends perceive the world around them.
