Study Shows Dogs Can Recognize Human Emotions
University of Vienna researchers used brain scans to confirm that dogs can recognize human emotions, with specific brain regions activating when dogs see happy faces but not angry or sad ones.
Research from University of Vienna scientists reveals that dogs can distinguish emotions displayed on human faces, marking the first evidence to confirm this ability. In the study, researchers used machine learning technology to analyze brain scans of 12 dogs as they viewed images of human faces expressing different emotions. According to a University of Vienna statement on August 11, the findings showed that brain regions associated with higher-level cognition and reward processing—specifically the temporal cortex and caudate nucleus—activated only when dogs saw unfamiliar faces displaying smiles and happiness.
In contrast, images showing anger, fear, and sadness did not trigger activity in these brain areas. The study was published in the journal iScience by Cell Press. However, when examining overall brain activity, researchers found distinct patterns of brain activity between faces expressing fear, anger, and sadness, providing the first evidence that dogs can distinguish between different types of negative emotions on human faces.
Laura Guay, the study's senior researcher, noted that dogs have evolved alongside humans for a long time and can now understand facial expressions and collaborate with people. Recognizing this ability may help change how humans communicate with and care for dogs.
Researchers plan to investigate how dogs integrate information from other signals—including body language, tone of voice, and scent—in interpreting humans around them, and will compare how dog and human brains process emotional signals similarly. The study included only dogs from loving, attentive families, and researchers cautioned that dogs raised in different environments may respond differently to human emotional signals.
