It’s something every dog owner knows — but now we have the science to prove it: Dogs really can tell when we’re happy or sad.
Scientists have scanned the brains of dogs to reveal how they process various human expressions, including happiness, sadness, anger and fear, according to a study published Monday in the journal iScience.
The scans, carried out by a team from the University of Vienna, show how the animals’ brains respond differently depending on the expression that humans display.
Senior study author Laura Cuaya explained their findings in a press release published on the university’s website. “When we compare humans with primates, we are looking at abilities that may have come from a common ancestor,” she said.
“With dogs, the story is totally different. They followed a very different evolutionary path, yet through domestication, they developed the social abilities needed to understand and cooperate with us.”
