According to a new study dogs develop a bark or "voice" similar to the sound of their owner's regional accent.

For example dogs in Liverpool communicate in a higher pitch than other dogs and Scottish dogs tend to have a lighter tone to their bark.

And the closer the emotional bond between a dog and its owner the more likely it is they will sound similar!

In order to complete the study owners were told to record messages on an answer phone then get their dogs to do the same thing.

Experts then compared the pitch, tone, volume and length of the sounds.

Dogs are copy cats

Not only do dogs pick up their owners' accents they also mimic their behaviour according to dog trainer Stan Rawlinson.

He said: "A terrier with a young family with kids will probably be manic but put it with a little old lady and the dog will end up old before its time, shuffling along like its owner."