The science of pet sounds.
Research-backed insights into what your pet's vocalizations actually mean — with real acoustic data.
What Does a High-Pitched Bark Mean? The Science Behind Pitch and Emotion in Dogs
A high-pitched bark usually signals excitement, fear, or appeasement — not aggression. Here's what the research says about pitch and what your dog's F₀ actually tells you.
Is Your Cat's Meow Normal? What Frequency, Duration, and Pitch Reveal
Most domestic cat meows fall between 400-600 Hz. Here's what rising vs falling pitch, short vs long duration, and changes in your cat's meow pattern actually mean.
Why Does My Cat Meow at Night? Causes & How to Stop It
Cats are crepuscular, so night meowing is usually hunger, boredom, or reinforced attention — but sudden yowling in an older cat can be medical. The real causes and how to stop it.
Why Does My Cat Meow So Much? 8 Reasons & What to Do
Cats meow at humans, not each other — so excessive meowing is usually a learned request, a talkative breed, or (in older cats) a medical issue. Here's how to tell which, and how to reduce it.
Why Does My Dog Bark at Night? Causes & How to Stop It
Alerting to sounds, boredom, separation distress, an unmet need, or — in older dogs — cognitive decline. Here's how the bark itself points to the cause, and how to stop it.
Why Does My Dog Bark? What Each Type of Bark Means
Dogs bark for specific reasons — alarm, territory, play, demand, fear, frustration — and the sound changes with each. Read your dog's bark by pitch, roughness, and pattern.
How to Stop a Dog From Barking (Without Punishment)
The fix depends on the type of bark. Humane, evidence-based methods for alarm, demand, boredom, and anxiety barking — plus how to teach a reliable "quiet" cue.
How Loud Is a Dog Bark? Decibel Levels Explained
A dog bark commonly measures 80–100+ dB up close — louder than a vacuum, near a chainsaw; the record is 113.1 dB. How loud barks really are, by breed and distance.
Dog Bark Meaning: Decode Your Dog's Bark by Its Sound
Four measurable features — pitch, length, roughness, and repetition — decode what a bark means. The acoustic cheat sheet, grounded in bioacoustics research.
Can You Tell If Your Dog Is Stressed by Their Bark? What HNR and Vocal Roughness Reveal
Vocal roughness — measured as Harmonics-to-Noise Ratio — drops when dogs are stressed. Here's how to detect it and what nonlinear phenomena in barks actually indicate.
How to Track Your Pet's Vocalizations Over Time (And Why Your Vet Will Thank You)
A single recording is a snapshot. A journal is a baseline. Here's why longitudinal vocal tracking matters and how to present acoustic data to your veterinarian.
Dog Bark Frequency by Breed: What's Normal for Your Dog?
Small dogs bark at 500-1200 Hz. Large dogs at 150-500 Hz. But individual variation matters more than breed averages. Here's how to find your dog's baseline.