Can Dogs Sense How Humans Feel?

Question

As they say humans are smart but dogs are smarter, can dogs sense humans feelings?

https://bettervet.com/resources/pet-lifestyle/can-dogs-sense-human-emotions#:~:text=The%20answer%20is%20yes%2C%20dogs,of%20voice%2C%20and%20facial%20expressions.

Comments

yes I totally agree that dogs can sense how humans feel. This is because they can read our body language, tone of voice, and even the way we smell. It is also because they know us as humans, and we have this special bond with the dogs. It says in one of the paragraphs that if we are feeling anxious or stressed, dogs can pick up on our emotional cues, which is true. I have a dog, and I can say that they do in fact provide support and can sense emotion when something is wrong. I do think it's interesting though if certain dog breeds can be more sensitive to human emotions, which is something that can maybe be looked at at another time.

Answer 1

Yes actually, dogs can sense human emotions using cues like facial expressions, body language, vocal tones, and even scents! Studies show they can distinguish between positive and negative feelings and often react to provide comfort or support, especially when they sense sadness or stress. This emotional sensitivity likely evolved through domestication and really helps strengthen the personal bonds between humans and dogs. For more information, check out this article I linked below from Cambridge Core. 

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/evolutionary-human-sciences/article/dogs-functionally-respond-to-and-use-emotional-information-from-human-expressions/BFA8227B714FFA69F4BC439D9B8E1337

Answer 2

Dogs are extremely good at sensing the differences in human actions. This is why the police use k9s and why service dogs are popular. Service dogs are individually trained to perform work or help assist a person with a disability. The police force uses specifically trained k9s to spot people in large areas like airports. Both of these dogs are pros at finding small differences between vocal tone, actions and smell.

https://canine.org/service-dogs/service-dog-month/service-dog-differences/

https://www.policek9help.com/dogs.php

Answer 3

The claim that dogs can sense how humans feel is true for the most part. Research shows that dogs actively read our different emotions. In a study, dogs were able to pick up emotional information from human facial expressions and body postures and then use that to make decisions (Albuquerque et al., 2022). Another article from the American Kennel Club said that dogs can even tell human emotions like happiness, fear, and sadness just by listening to the tone or sound of our voices (AKC, 2022). So this means that when you’re sad, stressed, or excited, your dog most likely knows in some way.

Dogs seem to detect human stress through smell and then respond differently. A study found that when dogs smelled human sweat and breath samples from stress people, they became more cautious and less eager in a food-choice test. This suggests that they were less “optimistic” because they sensed something was off with the humans (NPR, 2024). This means if you’re upset or anxious, then your dog might change how they behave because of that. This can include staying closer, being more alert, or just acting a little different than usual. Overall, dogs might not “feel the emotion” the same way a human does, but they can sense it and then behave in a way that matches what they sense. 

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10426098/

https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/news/dogs-can-hear-your-emotions/

https://www.npr.org/2024/07/23/nx-s1-5049543/dogs-stress-smell-study-emotions-decisions