What Dogs Feel For You

Most pet owners often ponder what their dogs think about them when they look at them with their loving, wide eyes. You might wonder, ‘’ What are they thinking?”. Recent studies have now helped up us move closer to finding an answer to this common question. Two researchers recently did a study to find out if canines have the ability to express empathy – the capability of understanding emotion.

According to the study, many people believe that their dog actually has the ability to comfort them. But while all not dogs can show comfort, they are not hard-hearted either. Essentially, dogs can show a lot of care in many ways than most of us assume.

How the dogs responded to the study

Researchers recently gathered a variety of untrained pets that mainly consisted of mixed breed, which were then divided into groups of two – males and females. Then they requested the presence of the dog’s owner as well as a stranger who had never met the dog. The stranger and the owner would alternatively hum, cry or talk in a strange way. The researchers simply wanted to check how these dogs reacted to the sound.

The dogs did respond well to the sounds that even came from strangers. As a result, the researchers believed that this was a way the dogs used to express empathy. Additionally, the researchers believed that when the dogs wanted comfort they would seek out their caretaker. But the study ultimately raises a number of questions. Do dogs express emotions like anger or pleasure? And how do they respond to children.

Dogs and their owners enjoy a healthy symbiotic relationship

Nonetheless, recent findings show that dogs and their owners usually have a strong bond. And though more research is essential to determine ways of strengthening this bond, we definitely benefit from a healthy symbiotic relationship with our dogs.

While there is no definitive way to explain how your dog feels for you, the joy and companionship you get from your canine friend speaks volumes. More importantly, dogs not only endure hostile environments but also seem to enjoy it as well. And you might wonder, what do dogs think in such situations?

The research also shows that dogs are more responsive to information that comes from us, as opposed to sounds from inanimate signals such as bell. Put simply, dog enjoy our presence as much as we enjoy theirs. 

Conclusion

Although dogs have the ability to show empathy, they can be jumpy and aggressive when they are sick. For that reason, you should take them to the vet when you spot a change of behavior just to be on the safe side.

References: Cesars way, Discover magazine, Huffpost

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