Dogs Who Have An Uncanny Ability To Read People's Emotions Usually Do 4 Sweet Things
Halfpoint | Shutterstock Dogs have been faithful companions for thousands of years, offering unconditional love and a furry little tummy to rub anytime. Dog lovers know how connected and responsive their puppy pals can be, and research shows dogs can even sense human emotions more deeply than previously thought.
Dogs with an uncanny ability to sense human emotions usually do these things:
1. They’re drawn to kind people
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Dogs have strong intuition. They can tell whether someone means well or is trying to cause harm. They pick up on the energy a person gives off, letting them read the deepest folds of someone’s personality.
Dogs are protectors. They tend to alert their pet parents when they perceive danger. When they think something is wrong, they’ll react: barking, growling, or raising the hair on their neck as an internal alarm system.
Because they’re so emotionally in tune, they also know when someone has a kind heart and a giving soul. They're likely to be naturally attracted to those people, going up to them when they enter a new place, giving sweet, slobbery kisses, and asking for pets.
2. They tilt their heads when you speak
Another sign your dog bestie really gets you is tilting their head to the side when you’re deep in conversation. This painfully adorable move holds more meaning than just being cute. It shows they’re listening and engaging with what you’re saying.
Maybe you’re telling them it’s time for a sniffy walk or a car ride, or that their delicious kibble dinner is served, waiting for them to snarf it up in one bite. No matter what you’re saying, your dog is paying attention.
Tilting their head serves the same function as a human nod. When a dog does this, they’re letting you know just how much they love you, in their own special language.
3. They mirror your emotions
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A 2016 study published in the journal Biology Letters found that dogs can connect emotionally with humans and other dogs.
Scientists showed a group of 17 dogs human or dog faces showing a variety of emotions, happy and playful or angry and aggressive. They also played specific sounds to accompany the image, capturing a positive or negative tone. The results found that dogs can tell the difference between positive and negative emotions in people and in their pup counterparts.
If you’ve noticed that your dog shares in your happy moments and comforts you when you’re sad, you’re not imagining it. They really can tell how we feel, and they reflect those moments back to us.
4. They react when someone cries
A joint German-Hungarian study examined how dogs react to outward expressions of distress from humans. The researchers noted that dogs display socio-cognitive abilities unique to their species, which allow them to follow human cues, like pointing and looking longingly at their pet parent when they can’t reach their favorite toy or the snack you’re eating that they’d really love to share.
The study observed dogs as they listened to a crying baby, and the results showed how connected they are to our emotions. When they heard crying, dogs’ cortisol levels rose, a sign of stress. This data suggested they can sense changes in a human's emotional well-being.
The dogs also showed signs of submissiveness and alertness, supporting the idea that they sense when we’re deep in our feelings. So, the next time you and your doggo spend quality cuddle time together, you can rest assured that they’re just as sensitive as you thought and equally as obsessed with you as you are with them.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers social issues, pop culture, and all things entertainment-related.
