Dogs are unquestionably man’s best friend, but it is not their abilities with friendship alone. Scientific research has concluded that dogs can identify the people who are not trustworthy or who have bad intentions. Their highly developed perception makes them able to perceive even the smallest signs in body language, voice tone, and even the changes in human emotions caused by the chemicals.
The Way Dogs Perceive Human Behavior
Research from Kyoto University in Japan demonstrated that dogs can make a judgment about the trustworthiness of people from their deeds. In an experiment arranged by the scientists, dogs were given a choice between a humans lying and giving the wrong information about the place where the food was hidden. The dogs immediately grasped which people were lying and did not follow their indications anymore.
Another research published in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, among other things, showed that dogs’ behavior towards humans depends on the latter’s emotional condition. To be more precise, their abilities go so far as to allow them to identify fear, anger, and stress by the sense of smell and accept negative emotions through the reading of body language. Thus, the dogs’ behavior becomes either protective or they tend to withdraw from those who give out negative emotions.
Dogs Interpret Body Language and Facial Expressions
Dogs are very sensitive to human body language. A study in Current Biology showed that dogs were able to tell the difference between a happy and an angry human face even if they only saw a part of it. This capability reveals that dogs decide about people based on the eyesight cues.
Also, dogs inevitably pick up on the way people treat each other. If a person deals aggressively or unfairly with the dog’s owner or another dog, the canine will not only remember it but also react with distrust or defensiveness.
Can Dogs Sense “Bad” People?
On the other hand, dogs clearly are not equipped with a moral compass similar to humans; however, they are still the best at finding the traits of the behavior that imply that there is danger or that a person is not honest. Their instincts give them a hand to recognize:
- Dishonest acts – Here, if a person lies or acts differently than usual, dogs might get suspicious.
- Negative feelings – Besides, dogs can detect stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline by their smell, thus they become the first to be alerted to any potential danger.
- Hostile body language – For example, sudden loud talking, a stiff posture, or a quick movement can be the reason that a dog’s defensive needs will be triggered.
Real-Life Examples of Dogs Detecting Danger
There are infinite tales about dogs who have acted as guard animals to their owners. One of those cases was when the dog was growling, but the stranger wasn’t supposed to be there, so he even helped the dog chase that stranger away; in the other case, the dog rejected the approach of some persons who later were found to be dangerous, even without explaining why.
Especially service dogs are targeted for this goal, so they will know the necessary smell and move when a person is on the verge of panic or having a seizure, or they will spot the biggest lie in a human being.
Conclusion
Science affirms the same result that has been running implicitly through the minds of dog lovers for a time now: The dog’s perception is phenomenal. They can feel ill intentions, recognize negative emotions, and detect human body language very well. On that note, if your dog shows some symptoms of discomfort around a person, perhaps it is time to consider the possibility of them being more perceptive than you and having the secret that you are still blind to.
