This is absolutely no surprise to dog owners, but growing research confirms that dogs are excellent at reading facial expressions, being empathetic and showing jealousy. They pay attention to who we get along with and who we dislike and can mirror those behaviours – if we don’t like someone, they may not like them either. One particular study even demonstrated that dogs can discern when somebody is being fair or unfair – for example, in distributing treats to the dog and his other dog friends, or rewarding different dogs for the same behaviour in varying ways, or if a human is being cruel or compassionate.
Dogs have been man’s best friend for over 30,000 years. Over that time, they have adapted to live life beside us. Dogs are emotionally a lot more similar to us than we realize – they have empathy and are emotionally aware. They understand when we are happy or in pain. Dogs are the only non-primate to look people in the eyes without misinterpreting it unlike wolves, who look at it as a sign of hostility.
Scientists have proven that dogs actually feel love for us and prioritize the smell of humans over all other smells. Dogs can understand hundreds of words, and learn vast amounts of information, depending on their breed and personality.
For more information, visit: https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/07/150720-dogs-animals-science-pets-evolution-intelligence/
