5 Things That Dogs Perceive In Humans

Scientists have been studying social cognition in dogs for several years – the ability of dogs to read behavioral signals in other beings. We humans do it automatically, we just need to look at a person to guess his feelings. All social mammals have developed various ways of reading the signals sent by their group members, usually within the same species. Nonetheless, various recent studies have shown that dogs are particularly good at reading certain types of social signals emitted by humans.

What do dogs perceive in humans?

Loneliness. Dogs are able to sense when people feel lonely. It is very likely that when a dog senses that his owner is in a state of loneliness, he tries to encourage him to go out, or crouches under his feet in search of affection, cuddles or a minimum of attention. Our little furry friends can be considered great companions when it comes to lifting someone’s soul. This is why they are recommended as emotional assistance and companion animals for adults, the elderly and children.

Anxiety and stress. A dog can clearly sense when its owner is nervous, and even manage to join him in this mood, usually by barking or appearing restless. He may ask to go out on the street or in the garden, he may run around the apartment or scratch some furniture. In these cases, it is good that the owner and the dog both go out for a walk, distracting themselves a little. Otherwise, coexistence could get quite complicated.

Diseases. According to various researches it has been shown that dogs can perceive the onset of certain diseases, including cancer itself. As we have already said, there can be a very strong connection between dog and owner. This is why it is not surprising that these animals are capable of detecting the presence of health problems in humans, both physical and emotional.

Tiredness. Nowadays it is not a surprise to come home tired or unwilling to do anything. However, dogs suffer from this fatigue condition, and they will feel it as soon as you walk in the door. Remember that this type of pets need the attention of their owners, and if the owners fail to meet this need, ignoring the need for dogs to exercise and walk daily, the situation could result in a series of uncontrollable barking. . For this reason, the best thing to do is to relax, sit in an armchair and, if you have space in the house, pick up one of his toys and pull it for him to bring back.

Happiness. Dogs can also perceive positive moods such as cheerfulness in their owners. When the opportunity arises, don’t forget to make the most of these moments with your pets, and enjoy the day by taking a walk or playing together.

Why can dogs understand what humans feel?

The question that many people ask is this: where does this talent in dogs come from? The first hypothesis, according to investigators, is that by descending from wolves, dogs acquired the ability to understand social cues as they learned to hunt. If so, it would seem that even wolves are able to perceive the moods of humans. Yet studies have been made that indicate the opposite.

The following assumption could be that dogs learn to read human body language thanks to the large amounts of time they spend with people. This would suggest that puppies, especially those who still live with the rest of the litter and have not yet been adopted, have a harder time picking up certain signals in humans. However, this hypothesis is wrong, in fact, puppies only nine weeks old and still living with their mother and siblings are able to perceive these signals better than wolves or chimpanzees.

So where does this ability of dogs to read human signals come from? According to many theories it is simply a consequence of domestication. Nonetheless, there are opposing positions in this regard, and there is still no certain answer.