Study claims your dog is able to judge your character by how you behave with others

Dogs are considered to be man’s best friend. After all, they are those faithful companions who always welcome human friends with a lively welcome, wagging their tail, jumping and playing. Sometimes, we get the impression that they are about to say: “I missed you, human!”. And as if that were not enough, it even seems that dogs are able to identify when we are happy or sad. But are they able to judge our attitudes, acting according to our behavior towards other people? It seems so.

O incredible.club researched and found a study that revealed some details about dog behavior, comparing canine and human affective characteristics.

A study carried out at the University of Kyoto, Japan, pointed out that dogs perceive when someone is unkind towards their owners. In addition, evidence was recorded that animals stop trusting those who show signs of being unsympathetic and uncooperative. The research analyzed the behavior of 54 dogs, which were divided into three groups. Each of them witnessed different situations in which their owner tried to open a container. In some cases, the volunteer received help from another person. In others, the person refused to help. In the others, the owner gave up the task.

The results showed that dogs felt aversion towards those who avoided helping their owners. This, according to experts, reveals how the affective characteristics of dogs are similar to those of humans. Just like us, dogs evaluate how others behave, since, among humans, cooperation is something of fundamental importance. Those who do not help others are on the margins of society.

But what is the most important aspect of this subject? In fact, there are several. The study authors cited other research showing that chimpanzees prefer to be around empathetic people who are willing to feed them. That is, collaborative societies are not exclusive to human beings, but are also noticed in other species, such as primates and dogs.

These conclusions shed light on the functioning of collaborative societies, and also corroborate the fact that dogs are not just companion animals, but part of the family, maintaining precise communication with it. Both they and we mutually understand our languages.

Without a doubt, dogs are constantly evaluating those around them. If someone fails to help us, our dog will not react sympathetically towards that person. But in addition to the advantages this brings to our safety, keeping a pet close also makes us happier, as contact with pets produces oxytocin, the happiness hormone.

In short: dogs imitate us. In fact, they have also adopted different ways of making contact with humans, letting us know that they empathize with us or that they are in need of something. Interestingly, the use of eyebrows by dogs evolved as a communication tool, something also common to humans, for example, in moments of sadness. Dogs move their eyebrows when they want food or attention.

How does your dog usually react when someone approaches you? Leave a comment with your story!