Though I doubt it, European phones may be different than in the USA but here in the USA only two wires, a pair, are needed for a phone to work.

The other pair at one time was used for enhancements and power. Those old phones often had several incandescent light bulbs that wouldn't allow the main line to function because the current draw was excessive. Typically nowadays those wires are used for a second line inside the house.

I think the home position you articulate is really time. If the handset is on the phone long enough the circuit resets and waits for the pulses or the tones. When I was younger you were cool if you didn't use the dial to call someone. You had to be talented enough to bang on the phone cradle the correct number of times to dial a phone. Ah the good old days.

I'm pretty sure all the pulses are the same time on/pause ratio. You just need to count the number of pulses and not wait too long to dial.