Does my dog know if I'm in a bad mood?
Dogs can understand our expressions and tone of voice.
The head or paw resting on a knee, bringing me a toy to play with or asking for another walk to get me out in the fresh air – Rufus is a master of mood improvement. Looking int it, it turns out that dogs are incredibly good at reading our emotions, and they can pick up on changes in our mood through a combination of visual cues, tone of voice, and even subtle changes in our body language. But how exactly do they do it, and just how much do they understand?
Dogs read facial expressions and body language
One of the ways dogs interpret our emotions is by observing our facial expressions and body language. Research has shown that dogs are highly attuned to the faces of their human companions and can distinguish between happy, sad, angry, and neutral expressions. In fact, studies suggest that dogs are more likely to approach a person who is smiling than someone who is frowning or looks upset.
Dogs may not fully understand the complexities of human emotions, but they can certainly recognise when something is different. For example, when you’re feeling stressed or anxious, your body language might become more tense, and your movements more rigid, signals that your dog can easily pick up on. This ability to detect changes in posture and movement is part of how dogs have evolved to live alongside humans so successfully.
Tone of voice matters
It’s not just your facial expressions that dogs pay attention to; the tone of your voice plays a big role in how they interpret your emotions. Dogs are sensitive to vocal tones, and they can tell the difference between a cheerful, high-pitched voice and a stern or sad tone. This is why your dog might come over to comfort you when they hear a more subdued or melancholic tone in your voice.
A study conducted at Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary found that dogs process emotional cues from human speech in a similar way to humans. When we talk to dogs, they don’t just listen to the words we say, they also interpret the emotional content carried by our tone. This helps explain why dogs are so quick to offer comfort when we’re upset, they can hear the sadness or stress in our voices and respond with empathy.
The science behind dogs’ emotional intelligence
Research into canine emotional intelligence has revealed that dogs and humans share some remarkable similarities in how they process emotions. One study found that when dogs and their owners gaze into each other’s eyes, both experience a release of oxytocin, the same hormone that helps mothers bond with their babies. This emotional connection strengthens the bond between humans and dogs, allowing dogs to be more in tune with their owners’ moods.
Additionally, dogs seem to have an ability to mirror our emotions, a phenomenon known as emotional contagion. If you’re feeling anxious or stressed, your dog might start showing signs of distress as well, like pacing, whining, or becoming more clingy. This emotional mirroring is another way dogs demonstrate their strong connection with us and their ability to empathise with our feelings.
Can dogs detect stress through scent?
Dogs’ remarkable sense of smell also plays a role in how they detect changes in our mood. It’s been suggested that dogs can pick up on chemical changes in our bodies, such as the release of cortisol, the stress hormone, through our sweat or breath. When we’re stressed or anxious, our bodies produce different odours, and dogs, with their highly developed olfactory systems, can detect these subtle changes.
This ability to smell emotional changes in humans may explain why some dogs are used as emotional support animals or service dogs for people with anxiety or PTSD. They can often sense when their owner is about to have a panic attack or a spike in anxiety, allowing them to offer comfort before things escalate.
Dogs truly are remarkable companions, not just because of their loyalty and affection, but because of their ability to read and respond to our emotions. Whether it’s through observing our facial expressions, listening to the tone of our voice, or picking up on chemical changes, dogs are always tuned in to how we’re feeling. So, the next time your dog snuggles up to you when you’re feeling down, remember, they probably know you’re in a bad mood and are just trying to make you feel better.