Feeling happy or mad? A dog can tell your mood just by looking at the expression on your face.
New research in the journal Current Biology represents the first solid evidence that an animal other than humans can discriminate between emotional expressions in another species.
As any dog owner knows, canines are skilled at figuring us out, but previously more attention was paid by scientists to how dogs read us using their other senses, such as smell and hearing, and by observing our behaviors. The latest study strongly suggests that the sight alone of a smile, frown, scowl and more conveys our moods to dogs.