Understanding Your Dog’s Emotions: What New Research Reveals

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Dogs are remarkably expressive, and as their guardians, we often feel we can tell exactly what they’re feeling. But how accurate are our interpretations? A recent study published by Guo et al. (2024) in Applied Animal Behaviour Science explored this question and found both strengths and limitations in our ability to decode our canine friends’ expressions!

How do we read canine emotions?

The researchers from Lincoln University set out to uncover how well people can identify a range of emotions in dogs, from joy and fear to frustration and anticipation. To do so, they asked 447 participants to watch short videos of dogs displaying various emotions. In some clips, only the dog’s face was visible, while others showed the entire body. After each video, participants selected the emotion they believed the dog was expressing from a list of 11 options. This approach helped determine whether facial expressions or body language were more reliable cues—and whether experience with dogs played a role in interpretation.

The results revealed fascinating patterns. Happiness was the easiest emotion to identify, particularly when participants could see the dog’s whole body. Signals like wide wagging tails and relaxed postures were clear indicators of joy. In contrast, fear was far more challenging to recognise, especially when conveyed through facial expressions alone. Facial cues for fear were often mistaken for happiness or sadness. For example, a dog with wide eyes and bared teeth might be expressing anxiety or fear, but without considering their body language or the context, such as a loud noise or an unfamiliar environment, this could easily be misread.

Body language, however, emerged as a powerful tool for understanding canine emotions. Emotions such as fear, sadness, and pain were significantly easier to identify when participants could observe a dog’s posture and movements. For instance, a tucked tail, hunched posture, or avoidance behaviours often provided critical context that facial expressions alone could not. If a dog is cowering during a thunderstorm, their posture, tail position, and hiding behaviour give clear cues about their distress – context that a simple facial expression might fail to convey. Yet, not all emotions were straightforward. Frustration proved particularly difficult for participants to identify, possibly because it lacks distinctive visual cues, making it harder to differentiate from other states.

The study also found that having previously owned or working with dogs did not guarantee better accuracy.

The study also found that having dog experience did not guarantee better accuracy. While seasoned dog owners and professionals showed slight improvements in recognising specific emotions, such as fear from facial expressions or appeasement from body language, their overall performance was comparable to those with little or no experience. This suggests that years of living with dogs may not always translate into an ability to decode dogs’ more nuanced emotional signals.

Misreading canine body language isn’t just about missing an emotional cue – it can have significant safety implications. A study by Westgarth et al. (2018) found many dog bites could be linked to human misunderstanding of a dog’s body language or behaviour. The research highlighted how people, particularly children, often fail to recognise signs of stress or discomfort in dogs, such as a stiff posture, lip-licking, or averted gaze, which can precede aggressive reactions. These findings align closely with the new research on emotion perception, emphasising the critical need for education about subtle canine communication. By better understanding fear or frustration signals, guardians can prevent stressful interactions and reduce the risk of bites, keeping both dogs and humans safe.

See the table below for some statistics relating to dog bites involving children.

Statistic	Source
44.6% of dog bites are provoked.	Patrick and O’Rourke (1998)
Children under 7 years of age (63%) are more likely to be victims.	Patrick and O’Rourke (1998)
Most dog bites occur during positive interactions initiated by the child with stationary, family dogs, indoors.	Reisner et al. (2011)
82% of parents feel it is appropriate for their children to kiss or hug their dog.	Reisner and Shofer (2008)
Around 66% of dogs that bite familiar children have not attended training classes. Thus, obedience training does not necessarily reduce the risk of biting.	Reisner (2017)

The study highlighted that focusing solely on facial expressions may lead to misinterpretations, which could inadvertently cause stress for dogs, potentially leading to escalations. For example, a handler might mistake the stillness of a fearful dog for calmness and unknowingly place the dog in an uncomfortable situation, such as encouraging interaction with an excitable child or another dog. This highlights the importance of taking into account all the observable signs or ‘clusters’ of information (e.g. breathing rate, the colour of the dog’s skin underneath, body position, any weight shifting, and so on…). Considering all the available information helps us gain a fuller understanding of how a dog is likely feeling at that moment in time. So, the adage that was often said to me when I was a young girl was that “a wagging tail is a happy dog” is not the case at all. That’s because a wagging tail simply means the dog is in a heightened state – and is interacting with something/someone.

Accurately identifying emotions – both positive and negative ones – allows dog guardians to reinforce enjoyable experiences, such as a relaxed play session at the park or stop interactions that might be making our dog feel uncomfortable – like the well-meaning neighbour bending down to stroke our pet. When we better understand our four-legged friends, we strengthen that all-important bond.

Key take-away

Paying closer attention to body language, such as posture, tail position, and movement, can provide clearer insights into our dog’s feelings. Learning to recognise subtle stress signals, like lip-licking, freezing, or turning away, is equally crucial. And while intuition plays a role, relying on education and observation ensures a more accurate understanding of your dog’s emotions. This knowledge allows guardians to respond thoughtfully, whether by giving a nervous dog space or rewarding behaviours that signal joy.

Ultimately, this study reminds us that understanding dogs is an evolving process that requires both attentiveness and empathy. By combining what we know with what we continue to learn, we can ensure our dogs feel safe, supported, and understood. The bond between dogs and their guardians is built on trust, and there’s no better way to honour that than by truly listening to what our furry companions are trying to tell us.

References

• Guo, K., Correia-Caeiro, C., and Mills, D. (2024) Category-dependent contribution of dog facial and bodily cues in human perception of dog emotions. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 280, 106427. doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2024.106427.
• Patrick, G.R., and O’Rourke, K.M. (1998) Dog and cat bites: epidemiologic analyses suggest different prevention strategies. Public Health Reports 113(3) pp.252-257.
• Reisner, I.R. (2017) Dog Bites and Children: A Behavioral Perspective Presented by Dr Ilana Reisner. 4 December 2017: Pet Professional Guild.
• Reisner, I.R., and Shofer, F.S. (2008) Effect of gender and parental status on knowledge and attitudes of dog owners regarding dog aggression toward children. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 233(9) pp.1412-1419.
• Reisner, I.R., Nance, M.L., Zeller, J.S., Houseknecht, E.M., Kassam-Adams, N., and Wiebe, D.J. (2011) Behavioural characteristics associated with dog bites to children presenting to an urban trauma centre. BMJ 14(5). doi.org/10.1136/ip.2010.029868.
• Westgarth, C., Brooke, M., and Christley, R.M. (2018) How many people have been bitten by dogs? A cross-sectional survey of prevalence, incidence and factors associated with dog bites in a UK community. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 72(4):331-336. doi: 10.1136/jech-2017-209330.