Happy Fun Fat Friday! Today, we are focusing on some cool facts about dogs!
Have you ever noticed how often our dogs look to us to understand what's happening around them?
Perhaps you're out on a walk, and someone unfamiliar passes by, or your dog encounters something they're unsure about. You might notice them glancing up at you. Are you relaxed? Are you nervous? Is this someone you're comfortable around?
Our dogs are consciously checking in to see how we’re feeling about the situation.
Dogs use our emotional reactions to help them decide how to respond to unfamiliar situations. Researchers call this social referencing, and it's one of the many ways dogs gather information from the humans they trust.
And here's something else that's pretty interesting. Dogs also pay attention to whether we're watching them!
In another study, researchers told dogs not to take a piece of food. When the person was watching, the dogs were less likely to take it. But when the person closed their eyes, turned away, or left the room, the dogs were more likely to help themselves!
Some dogs are even willing to take advantage of the dark and are more likely to take forbidden food when the lights are off.
Our dogs are observing our facial expressions, our reactions, and even whether we're paying attention to what they're doing.
Of course, every dog is different, and their behavior is influenced by their individual experiences, personalities, and relationships with us.
The more we learn about how they communicate and experience the world, the more opportunities we have to understand and support them as individuals.
At PAWS, we believe that understanding animals and respecting their individual needs is an important part of compassionate care and nurturing the human-animal bond.
Sources:
Merola et al. (2012). PLOS ONE, “Dogs' Social Referencing towards Owners and Strangers.”
Call et al. (2003). Journal of Comparative Psychology, “Domestic Dogs Are Sensitive to the Attentional State of Humans.”
Kaminski et al. (2013). Animal Cognition, “Dogs Steal in the Dark.”
Wishing you a wonderful Friday!
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