It's a dog's world or is the world just going to the dogs?

It's not often that I manage to find anything of interest coming out of Hungary.

Today is an exception.

According to the news media there are some Hungarian scientists, who are being paid to work on computer software which aims to analyse dog barks and which could, as a result, allow people to better recognise dogs' basic emotions.

Dr Molnar and his colleagues at Budapest's ELTE University have tested software which distinguishes the emotional reaction of 14 dogs of the Hungarian mudi herding breed to six situations:

1. when the dog is alone,
   
2. when it sees a ball,
   
3. it fights,
   
4. it plays,
   
5. it encounters a stranger or
   
6. it goes for a walk.

"A possible commercial application could be a device for dog-human communication," he said.

The computer correctly recognised the emotional reaction of the dogs based on their barks and yelps in 43 per cent of the cases.

People had judged correctly in 40 percent of cases.

Scientists said the software could be improved.

Dr Molnar said the Hungarian scientists' research provided further proof that different types of dog barks convey messages humans can understand, even if they had no experience with dogs.

Given that humans seem to be almost as successful as the current software, I think that the only market for this development would be for humans who are totally insensitive - in which case they would probably be better off not owning a pooch.

Of course I could be wrong.

What's next I wonder?

Will there be someone out there who wants to find out if the bark of dog species that are NOT Hungarian herding animals speak a different dialect to express their emotions?

Perhaps we will be treated to a new set of languages that are taught at schools of the future.

I can see it now - advanced courses on Labrador speak - especially useful for the duck hunter and the blind person who uses a seeing eye dog.

I am sure that the French would want to explore being able to communicate with their Poodles and of course the Germans would want to be able to teach German Shepherd speak to those upstart Alsatians! Even the English may wish to get into the act, eventually, just to make their fox hunting so much more enjoyable if you can understand what your dogs are trying to say to you.

Of course the mind reels at other possibilities like being able to communicate with your pit bull about it's emotional state or with your Rottweiler to ensure that it does NOT think your children are pet food!

Yes folks - it's a dog's world - or perhaps more accurately the world is going to the dogs!