Dogs communicate through body language, using cues like bowing when they want to play or licking their lips when nervous.
However, a new study suggests that people may not always accurately interpret these signals.
The study presented viewers with videos of dogs reacting to different stimuli, revealing that people tend to focus more on situational cues rather than the dog’s actual behavior when assessing emotions.
Holly Molinaro, a doctoral student at Arizona State University who led the study, emphasized the importance of paying attention to a dog’s behavior, rather than external factors, to truly understand their emotions.
This bias could lead dog owners to misinterpret their pets’ well-being, highlighting the need to focus on the dog rather than distractions.
The study, born out of the Covid-19 pandemic limitations, aimed to investigate how contextual clues impact people’s perception of dog emotions.
Using videos of her own dog, Oliver, researchers removed situational context to test viewers’ ability to accurately assess the dog’s emotions based solely on behavior.
The study showed that viewers were influenced more by situational context than the dog’s behavior when evaluating emotions.
The researchers concluded that people have a blind spot when it comes to perceiving a dog’s emotions, often relying on external factors rather than the dog’s actions.
While the study had limitations, the findings suggest a need for pet owners to actively learn how their dogs express themselves for their well-being.
The researchers hope that the study serves as a reminder for pet owners to understand and respond to their dog’s emotions accurately for a happier life together.
Although Oliver, the dog in the study, has passed away, his contribution to the research is honored and remembered by the team.