

This sounds likely. I’d have to imagine at that stage of life the very concept of learning how to learn something for the first time is monumental.
What they’re learning isn’t as important as learning something for the first time. Since animals are so interesting, it sounds like a reasonable thing to start with.
I imagine it also has to do with establishing and reinforcing the concept that “things make noises and so can you”
The best example of good manliness in media I can think of is Bandit from Bluey.
The options are pretty slim if a cartoon dog from a children’s show is humanity’s best example of being a good man.