A study from the University of Vienna: Dogs can distinguish human emotions from facial expressions

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Vienna has discovered that dogs can recognize different human emotions through facial expressions. The study, published in the journal iScience, used automatic learning to analyze brain scans of 12 dogs watching images of human faces displaying various emotions.

The results showed that the brain regions associated with higher cognitive functions were activated only when seeing happy faces, while negative emotions such as anger, fear, and sadness generated different activity in the brain. The author of the study, Laura Cuaya, emphasized that this ability of dogs to understand human expressions can influence the way we communicate and care for them. Researchers intend to explore other cues, such as body language and tone of voice, to better understand dog behavior in relation to humans. They also hope to compare how human and canine brains process emotions. It is important to mention that the study participants were dogs from loving families, and reactions may vary depending on the environment in which they live.