Research reveals that dogs can differentiate between fearful, angry, and sad human expressions, as brain scans show distinct activity in response to various unhappy facial cues.
This is the first time such a capability has been demonstrated in dogs
Aug 11, 2026
01:11 pm
What's the storyA recent study has found that dogs can tell apart different types of unhappy human faces.
The research, in which Dr. Laura Cuaya from the University of Vienna was a co-author, shows that dog brains not only differentiate happy faces from other expressions but also distinguish between different negative ones.
Researchers analysed activity in regions of brain when dogs were shown images of different facial expressions
Researchers at the University of Vienna say their study is the first evidence of canines telling apart facial expressions
Scientists—and dog lovers—have long known that dogs are remarkably good at interpreting our laughs, frowns, and tears. But the…
Brain scans revealed dogs can interpret different facial expressions
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fMRI scans show happiness, fear, anger, and sadness have distinct brain activity patterns in doggy brains.
