Did you ever wonder what’s really going on behind those cute doggy eyes, slobbery smile, and wet snout? I certainly did! What if we tell you that your dog understands to a point everything you’re saying? Because here’s the thing: research showed that your dog truly does understand you.
According to USA Today, there’s a brand new study that discovered how dogs are able to make eye contact with us and listen for different cues from their owners in similar ways to how an infant would.
Also, did you know that cute head tilt that your dog does sometimes when you’re saying something? Apparently, that’s a sign that your dog is understanding most of your facial expressions and cues.
Dogs look at our eye contact and body language to decipher what we want to do. This study delved into all the ways in which our dogs behave after watching two separate videos. In every case, the dogs seemed to have responded identically to how an infant would. Now, it is believed that dogs pick up human-like tendencies after generations of bonding with humans.
Your dog can sense when you’re sad
Have you ever had a moment when you felt like crying but suddenly your dog came over and started cuddling up next to you? Well, it seems that they do this because they can sense something isn’t right with you. Dogs provide a lot of comfort during rough times and their unconditional love is quite inspirational.
Your dog knows when you’re being unfair
Another study published in the Journal of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences discovered that when dogs see you give more attention to another pet in their house, they become quite distressed and anxious. Rex, what’s up with you, dawg? Are you jealous? That’s hilarious.
A dog can tell when you’ve got a new set of priorities
It seems that when you bring home a new baby, your dog picks up the fact that he or she isn’t going to get the most attention anymore. This might lead to depression for your dog and sometimes he or she will start resenting your baby. To help smooth this process, you could try using a Baby Sounds CD to familiarize your dog with the sounds.
Your dog knows when you’re mad
If there’s one thing dogs hate, is to disappoint you. They can sense the emotions and body language that come with an upset “parent.” When you’re down or you are upset with your dog and you suddenly get hit with those “sweet puppy dog eyes,” that’s because he knows that you’re mad and hopes to change something.
So instead of punishing or disciplining your pet, we recommend you count to ten, take a deep pause, and then give your dog a well-deserved treat. As soon as the tension is gone, you can grab the Dog Leash and Dog Collar and take your pet for a nice long walk. The odds are that you will both feel a bit better.
Dogs sense when you are afraid
Your dog could easily pick up on the fact that you’re frightened of something. Some types of dog breeds could react by trying to protect you, as others will probably be just as afraid as you are. However, almost all dogs can rapidly sense when an owner feels afraid or anxious.
Next time you’re in public talking to your dog in that baby voice, don’t be too self-conscious about it, because your dog will feel what you want from him or her and why you’re using that tone. He also associates that tone with you talking to him.
When people are giving you strange looks, ignore them, and tell them that your dog really does understand you and that scientists agree with this 100%.
He knows if you’re a generous person (or not)
The researchers from the university of Milan put dogs to watch a bunch of people sharing food with a beggar, and other people telling the beggar to leave. Later on, it seems that when the individuals went to the dogs, the pups knew right away who were the generous ones.
And if you don’t like someone
When you have negative feelings towards someone, they can hear your breathing pattern changing. They can also sense your body stiffen a bit and even smell the subtle pheromones your body emits. If your in-laws suspect that your dog doesn’t like them, it might be simply because your dog indeed can’t stand them.
Or where you’ve been
If we were to ask our dogs, they already know where we’ve been and what we did. It’s actually impressive, come to think about it. If they could talk, they would probably say that we’re a bunch of big sponges.
We can pick up volatile organic compounds from everything we walk or touch. If you go to the supermarket you can smell the butcher and fish counters, any kind of food you’ve brought in that bag, and all the people you stood next to at the checkout. Their sense of smell is 100 million times more subtle than the faintest smell you can pick up.
He can also feel if you have cancer
There are dogs out there that are taught to detect different types of cancer, by being able to smell certain chemicals that cancer cells emit. According to a series of studies, dogs are 88% accurate in detecting breast cancer, and 99% accurate in detecting lung cancer.
He can feel when you’re coming home
Dogs can learn your schedule, and they also know when to expect you back at the house every single day. However, even if you do get home at a weird hour, they can pick out the sound of your particular car coming down the street, and trust me, they’re ALWAYS listening for it.
If you’ve fought with your spouse
Even if you don’t yell in front of them, they will notice your clipped tone of voice or the fact that neither of you is speaking, as well as the stiffness in your posture and the nervous way in which you’re opening drawers. Worse than that, some puppies can get sick to their stomachs when their owners are bickering.
And if you need protection
If you catch them sleeping next to you instead of their usual spot when your spouse is out of town, it’s because they know you need to be protected. If they stay closer to your leg than they would normally do when you walk through a dark area, it’s for the same reason.
They can smell the adrenaline your body releases when you are afraid, and they become more vigilant as soon as someone in the household is missing.
They know if you go on a trip
They hate it when you leave, that’s a fact. That’s probably one of the reasons why they pick up all the clues as soon as a departure is imminent. Apart from suitcases pulled out from the closet, they are paying attention to your every move. Some of them even get anxious at the thought of you leaving. Some studies show that playing classical music for them helps them calm down. You should try it!
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