It’s hard not to smile at your dog when she comes running to you, tail wagging. But can your dog tell by your smile that you are happy to see her? Or for that matter, can she tell that your frown means you are upset after she eats one of your shoes?
Scientists have been studying dog behavior and recent research reveals that dogs do have some ability to understand our expressions, but relying on expressions alone may not be the best way to communicate with your pup. Here is how dogs respond to our expressions and what that means for your training.
Studies Regarding Dogs and Facial Expressions
Researchers have long done studies where they measure dogs’ brain activity when shown pictures of humans with different facial expressions. By using an MRI machine and studying behavioral cues, scientists have seen that a dog responds differently depending on whether the dog is looking at a happy face or an angry one. Dogs also show recognition of their owner’s faces over other faces.
Much of this is likely a result of training, rather than a completely innate understanding of what we convey with our expressions. Think about how your dog experiences your facial expressions while she is a puppy:
- You often smile before you give your dog treats, pets, or attention.
- You look upset before you deliver a reprimand or correction.
A recent study from last year supports this idea. In the study, researchers looked at brain activity in dogs when they looked at a face and the back of a person’s head. The result? The activity was the same. The dogs knew they were looking at a head, but a face with an expression was not any more exciting to them than the back of the head.
One of the reasons for this is that dogs communicate with each other using their entire body. The way they hold themselves, their tails, their ears, their teeth, and their tongues all convey their thoughts while people rely in large part on our facial expressions. Dogs learn to recognize our facial expressions, but are not naturally attuned to it.
The fact that dogs learn how to read our expressions shows how adaptable they are to living alongside people. They even change their own behavior. Pet dogs will display more intense expressions when they know a person is present as opposed to when they are only with other dogs.
Building communication skills between you and your dog is an essential part of training, and it is something that you will both learn over time. Helping your dog understand your forms of communication, such as expressions and eye contact, is another skill you want to focus on training, rewarding, and correct, as with all other behaviors.