Have you ever wondered if your pet dog can read people's facial expressions? If your answer to that question is yes, then the results of a new study will please you.
A team of researchers from the University of Helsinki in Finland found out that dogs can read facial expressions to detect and avoid threats for their survival, according to Health Day. However, dogs also decide how to respond based on who they are looking at.
"The tolerant behavior strategy of dogs toward humans may partially explain the results," researcher Sanni Somppi said. He also added that the domestication of dogs has made them sensitive to facial expressions especially for responding to threat.
The study involved the use of a piece of equipment that can observe and track how dogs move and use their eyes. This was used to identify how dogs look at facial expressions.
"The dogs first looked at the eyes and typically lingered there longer than at the nose or mouth," the article shared. The researchers were able to conclude that the reason why dogs gaze at different signals from different parts of the face is so that they can read the facial expressions and respond appropriately.
Dogs are truly amazing animals. Another study using MRI scans of dogs showed that the animals are even capable of being affectionate with their owners for reasons beyond food and security, according to the Daily Mail. "We hope to show that they love us for things far beyond food, basically the same things that humans love us for, like social comfort and social bonds," neuroscientist Gregory Berns said.
Berns also shared with Cesar's Way some of the signs that can show people if their dogs love them. These signs include dogs cuddling with their owners even if they already finished eating, dogs sleeping beside or near their owners, and dogs becoming very cheerful and happy when their owners come home. Along with the new study showing that dogs are capable of reading facial expressions, these animals are indeed man's best friends.
