Barks are more than just “Hey, you!”

From Bloomington, Ind., at a meeting of the Animal Behavior Society

We may not be giving enough respect to the communication power of barking dogs, says veterinarian Sophia Yin of the University of California, Davis.

Behaviorists have long leaned toward the opinion that barking doesn’t carry specific information but serves as a general attention getter, much like a person calling, “Hey there.”