If you've ever wondered whether your dog knows when you're feeling scared, sad or happy, new research suggests the answer may be yes.
A study recently published in the journal iScience
found that dogs' brains respond differently to certain human facial expressions. Researchers from the University of Vienna say the findings offer some of the strongest evidence yet that dogs can tell some emotions apart.To find out, researchers used brain scans to monitor the activity of awake pet dogs as they looked at photographs of unfamiliar people displaying different emotions. The results suggest dogs can recognize more than whether a person appears happy or upset.
The findings could help explain why dogs often seem to react differently when people smile,
cry or appear frightened. Researchers caution, however, that the study does not mean dogs understand emotions the same way humans do.
How did researchers test dogs' reactions?
The research included two experiments involving pet dogs trained to remain still during MRI scans.
In the first experiment, eight dogs viewed happy and neutral human faces. Happy expressions triggered stronger activity in brain regions linked to social interaction and reward, suggesting smiling faces may hold special significance for dogs.
In the second experiment, 12 dogs viewed faces expressing happiness, anger, fear and sadness. Researchers found the dogs' brains could distinguish happy faces from negative expressions.
A broader analysis also revealed different patterns of brain activity when dogs viewed fearful faces compared with sad or angry ones. However, researchers did not find a clear difference between anger and sadness. The findings provide the strongest brain-based evidence yet that dogs can tell some negative emotions apart.
Why did fear stand out?
Researchers believe fearful expressions may grab a dog's attention because they can signal that something is wrong, prompting the animal to pay closer attention.
Previous research has found that dogs respond more quickly to human faces showing fear and anger than to faces showing sadness, according to ScienceDaily. Dogs have also shown greater increases in heart rate when viewing some more emotionally dramatic expressions, including anger and fear.
What are the study's limitations?
Researchers stressed that the findings do not mean dogs understand emotions the same way people can. Instead, the study shows their brains react differently to certain facial expressions.
The study involved only 12 dogs in the main experiment, most of them border collies, and the animals viewed still photographs instead of real people. Researchers say future studies should include more breeds and examine how dogs respond to other cues they use every day, such as body language, tone of voice and scent.
Even with those limitations, the researchers say the findings provide new insight into the close relationship between people and dogs. They hope the research will help owners better understand how their pets respond to human emotions and strengthen the bond they share.
Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@usatodayco.com, or on X @athompsonUSAT
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Your dog may know you better than you think, study finds
