Ever wonder if your dog really knows how you feel? Scientists have now determined our canine friends can determine the mood we’re in by merely looking at the expression on our faces. In the past, animal behavior experts have focused more on the other senses such as smell and?hearing and how dogs use those to better understand us.
A new study, conducted at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, Austria, used a simple method with dogs: they presented photos of humans with happy or angry expressions on their faces. Then they were shown just the upper or lower half of the faces. The dogs in the study were able to determine which face was happy and which was sad. And their percentage of success was far beyond random chance.
The lead author of the data, Ludwig Huber, explained:
“Our study demonstrates that dogs can distinguish angry and happy expressions in humans. They can tell that these two expressions have different meanings, and they can do this not only for people they know well, but even for faces they have never seen before.”
The data suggests that since dogs live in such close proximity to human beings, they have learned to read our expressions and understand how we are feeling at any given moment. But co-author Corsin Muller says further study with other species–cats, horses, apes–may prove that animals in general have an ability to determine human moods:
“We expect to gain important insights into the extraordinary bond between humans and one of their favorite pets, and into the emotional lives of animals in general.”
So the next time your dog gives you one of those long, soulful looks, it may not mean she wants to go for a walk. Instead, she may be trying to figure out whether or not you’re feeling happy or sad. Either way, you can be sure she’s watching you closely.
