Because of this, they have a reputation for superb hearing. But their hearing capabilities are not better across the board. Our capabilities are superior to theirs in a few important ways as well. There are two aspects of sound that are most important to understand and identify: frequency pitch and sound pressure level. Sound pressure level SPL is a physically measurable quantity that corresponds very roughly to what we subjectively experience as volume.
There are other qualities that are essential to sound, such as timbre and duration. But frequency and SPL are the most important to understand. Frequency is how high or low the sound is in pitch. It is measured in cycles per second or Hertz. Low, rumbly sounds have low frequencies, that is, fewer cycles per second.
High sounds such as digital beeps, children singing, and most birdsong have more cycles per second. Some frequencies of well-known sounds are:. Sound pressure level is measured in decibels, a logarithmic unit. The decibel scale is used because the range of detectable sound is so wide. A linear scale would have to go from 0 to greater than million units to cover the range of sounds we can respond to. Logarithmic scales are counterintuitive and a bit difficult to understand. But you can get the idea of the range of sounds we can hear and how loud they are on the image below.
You can also consult this article by the U. Centers for Disease Control to help you get your bearings with decibels. Dogs can hear much higher frequencies than humans can. A young human with normal hearing can typically hear up to about 20, Hz Gelfand, , p.
As humans age, that upper limit decreases to about 12, Hz. Dogs can hear to 45, Hz Heffner, Humans can hear slightly lower frequencies than dogs can. We can hear pitches down to about 20 Hz. Sound lower than 20 Hz is called the infrasound range.
Dogs can hear down to about 67 Hz Heffner, There was speculation in the past that large dogs such St. Bernards can hear low frequencies better. The dog that could hear the lowest frequencies best was a poodle, and the St. Bernard came in last Heffner, Humans can locate sounds more precisely than dogs can. Psychologist Dr. Stanley Coren , p. The threshold of hearing is the sound pressure level at which a sound becomes audible.
At higher pitches, though, dogs have a lower threshold. Just like humans, dogs can lose their hearing with age or from other factors, such as a severe ear infection. The BAER test is a great way to determine the level of hearing loss. Most dogs adapt well when their ears fail, and you can continue to communicate using body language and hand signals. Also, the ability to detect high-pitched sounds is usually the last to go, so louder, high-frequency sounds, like a whistle, may work even when your dog can no longer hear your voice.
Compare Breeds Compare up to 5 different breeds side by side. Dog Name Finder Browse our extensive library of dog names for inspiration. Find out the best and worst foods for your dog and which to avoid. Additional Resources AKC. Clubs Offering: Training Classes. Jul 13, 3 Minutes. The more vibrations per second, the higher the sound and the higher the frequency. For example, a double bass makes low-frequency booming sounds while a tin whistle makes high-frequency piercing sounds.
Humans cannot hear sounds that vibrate at greater than 20, vibrations per second 20,Hz. Our hearing decreases with age, so babies can hear higher frequencies than their parents, but still not as well as dogs.
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