Axios: How dogs read us

Posted on September 17, 2026 by michelleclarke2015
How dogs read us
 
Illustration of a human hand and dog paw high fiving
Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
 
New research is providing evidence for what pet owners and animal lovers have long suspected: Dogs are remarkably good at reading human emotions.

Why it matters: The findings offer clues about how living as human companions for thousands of years may have shaped dogs.

🧠 Zoom in: For the study, published recently in iScience, researchers scanned pups’ brains while they looked at photos of human facial expressions portraying a range of feelings, including happiness, fear, sadness and anger.

Dogs processed the faces just like humans do, focusing on eyes, noses and mouths, and their brains showed a distinct response to happy faces.

While smiles elicited the biggest response, dogs appeared to read the other emotions, too. And their brains didn’t put all the negative feelings in the same bucket.

Instead, brain activity differed depending on whether the pups were looking at a fearful, sad or angry face.

🔎 The intrigue: This study analyzed dogs’ brain responses when they were looking at photos of strangers.

Their reactions would likely be even stronger when observing their owners’ faces, the study authors note.

💛 The money quote: “Humans are really good at picking up small details on the face, and so are dogs,” study author Raúl Hernández-Pérez from the University of Vienna told the BBC.

The bottom line: Whether it’s your dog or one you meet out and about, you’re not the only one getting something out of saying hello.
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About michelleclarke2015

Life event that changes all: Horse riding accident in Zimbabwe in 1993, a fractured skull et al including bipolar anxiety, chronic fatigue …. co-morbidities (Nietzche 'He who has the reason why can deal with any how' details my health history from 1993 to date). 17th 2017 August operation for breast cancer (no indications just an appointment came from BreastCheck through the Post). Trinity College Dublin Business Economics and Social Studies (but no degree) 1997-2003; UCD 1997/1998 night classes) essays, projects, writings. Trinity Horizon Programme 1997/98 (Centre for Women Studies Trinity College Dublin/St. Patrick's Foundation (Professor McKeon) EU Horizon funded: research study of 15 women (I was one of this group and it became the cornerstone of my journey to now 2017) over 9 mth period diagnosed with depression and their reintegration into society, with special emphasis on work, arts, further education; Notes from time at Trinity Horizon Project 1997/98; Articles written for Irishhealth.com 2003/2004; St Patricks Foundation monthly lecture notes for a specific period in time; Selection of Poetry including poems written by people I know; Quotations 1998-2017; other writings mainly with theme of social justice under the heading Citizen Journalism Ireland. Letters written to friends about life in Zimbabwe; Family history including Michael Comyn KC, my grandfather, my grandmother's family, the O'Donnellan ffrench Blake-Forsters; Moral wrong: An acrimonious divorce but the real injustice was the Catholic Church granting an annulment – you can read it and make your own judgment, I have mine. Topics I have written about include annual Brain Awareness week, Mashonaland Irish Associataion in Zimbabwe, Suicide (a life sentence to those left behind); Nostalgia: Tara Hill, Co. Meath.
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