We like to think we can tell exactly how our dogs are feeling – but a new study suggests many of us are getting it completely backwards.
Researchers at Arizona State University (ASU) found that when people are put in a good mood, they’re more likely to think a dog looks sad. And when people feel a bit down, they tend to decide the same dog looks happy.
This is the opposite of how we read other humans – when we interact with other people, we tend to interpret their emotions as similar to our own.
“In this domain of how people understand dogs’ emotions, I’m continuously surprised,” said study co-author Clive Wynne. “We’re just scratching the surface of what is turning out to be quite a big mystery.”
The researchers say the results could have real implications for how we care for our pets.
“If we can better understand how we perceive animal emotions, we can better care for them,” said first author Dr Holly Molinaro, at the time a PhD student at ASU studying animal behaviour.
The findings come from two experiments involving around 300 undergraduate students.
Volunteers were first shown images designed to nudge them into positive, negative or neutral moods. Then they watched short video clips of (very cute) dogs and judged how the animals were feeling.
Participants who had seen happier images went on to rate the video dogs as sadder, and vice versa.
The video clips featured three dogs – Oliver, Canyon and Henry – in situations meant to make them feel upbeat, uneasy or neutral. Treats, toys and promises of visiting “Grandma” were used to lift their mood. Vacuum cleaners and photos of cats were used to lower it.
As for why humans reverse dogs’ emotions, scientists don’t yet know. Wynne said: “People and dogs have been living intimately with each other for at least 14,000 years.
“In that time, dogs have learned plenty of things about how to get along with human beings. And yet our research suggests that there are quite big gaps in how we understand what dogs are feeling.”
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