Scientists have pointed to the inability of humans to read the emotions of dogs

People often think they know exactly how their dog is feeling. However, a recent study by scientists from Arizona State University (ASU) has shown that they are wrong — a person is not good at reading their pet's emotions. This was reported on December 5 by the BBC Science Focus magazine.

Researchers have found that when people are in a good mood, they tend to think that the dog looks sad. And when they feel depressed, they often believe that the pet, on the contrary, looks happy.

Allegedly, this is the opposite of how people perceive the emotions of others: when communicating with someone, a person usually interprets other people's emotions as similar to his own. Study co-author Cline Wynn noted that people are only superficially familiar with what turns out to be a big mystery, including animal emotions.

According to the study, such results can have real-world implications for how people take care of their pets.

"If we can better understand how we perceive animals' emotions, we can take better care of them," said first author Dr. Holly Molinaro.

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The results were obtained after conducting two experiments with about 300 students. First, they looked at the images, which were supposed to set them up in a positive, negative, or neutral mood. Then they watched short video clips with cute dogs and assessed how the animals were feeling.

Participants who looked at happier images saw the dogs in the video as sad. The same principle was observed in other participants.

In the video, the volunteers were shown three dogs—Oliver, Canyon, and Henry—in situations that were supposed to evoke positive, anxious, or neutral emotions in them. Treats, toys, and promises to visit "grandma" were used to raise the mood, while vacuum cleaners and photos of cats were used to lower the mood.

Scientists do not yet know the reasons why people confuse the emotions of dogs. Wynne noted that humans and animals have been living side by side for at least 14,000 years. According to him, dogs have learned a lot during this time, including the ability to get along with people. However, research shows a big difference between how dogs feel and how humans understand it.

Earlier, on December 3, Popular Science magazine pointed out the ability of having a dog in the family to influence the psychoemotional state of a teenager. According to the publication, playing with an animal helps the brain focus and relax, and it also satisfies the primary need for care.

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