Dogs 'Read' Their Owners' Emotional State - Study

An MRI study showed that dogs can distinguish human emotions. Twelve trained dogs participated in the experiment, viewing photographs of faces. The animals' brains reacted differently to anger, fear, and sadness, and responded especially actively to smiles. Scientists link this ability to domestication and note that dogs also use gestures, voice, and smell.

A study reported by NewsWise confirmed that dogs can recognize human emotional states. The experiment involved 12 specially trained dogs that calmly underwent MRI scans. The animals were shown photographs of unfamiliar people with different facial expressions, and scientists tracked brain responses. It turned out that dogs' brains react differently to anger, fear, and sadness, forming distinct neural patterns. Notably, the brain responded strongly to smiles: areas associated with information processing and the reward system were activated. Raúl Hernández-Pérez emphasized that dogs, like humans, are excellent at noticing subtle facial changes due to evolutionary adaptations. The study helps understand how social abilities of dogs and humans developed: the temporal lobe in both species evolved independently but plays a similar role. Experts caution against anthropomorphizing animals, noting that dogs perceive emotions not only through facial expressions but also through gestures, voice, and smell.

Dogs 'Read' Their Owners' Emotional State - Study