They say that the eyes are the mirror of the soul. And the truth is that this statement applies both to humans and to our beloved ARISTOPETS. Between people, looks can replace words. The eyes do not lie. In the case of pets, their gaze and facial expression are their way of communicating with the world and, especially, with their ARISTOPARENTS. Not to mention, of course, the barking and meowing of our best friends.
What is interesting is that this popular saying (the eyes are the mirror of the soul) has taken on a new dimension following a small study published on October 19 in Scientific Reports1.
The study states that dogs are especially sensitive to human attention. After experimenting with 24 dogs of different breeds and at different stages of life (from 1-year-old puppies to 12-year-old senior dogs), it concludes that dogs communicate with us through their facial expressions.
Did you think that your puppy's irresistible gaze was accidental or innate? Well, science shows that it is not. When your dog looks at you with eyes capable of melting the polar ice cap… it is telling you much more than you imagine. Whether to establish a deeper connection with you, subtly ask you for something, or show you unconditional affection.
The experiment, as we mentioned, involved 24 dogs. Each one was placed in a room where a person stood one meter away, remaining completely silent. A video camera recorded the situation. During that encounter, the person interacted with the dog in four different ways. First, they held out food in their hand while looking directly at the dog. Next, they repeated the process, looking at the dog but without any food. Third, they offered food without looking at the dog. Finally, they neither looked at the dog nor offered food. When there was no eye contact, the person fixed their gaze on a point on the wall and remained unaware of the dog's reactions. This procedure was carried out twice with each dog, on alternate days.
The facial expressions of all the dogs were analyzed using the DogFACS system, developed specifically by the Dog Cognition Centre. This system is based on the human version: the Facial Action Coding System, which identifies facial changes associated with muscle movements. The system recorded that the number of canine facial expressions doubled when the person looked at the dogs, compared with when they did not. Whether or not those people were carrying food seemed to make no difference to the dogs whatsoever.
The results could not be more interesting. In addition, they differ from the conclusions of previous studies, which claimed that dogs showed greater excitement when food was involved than when they were around people who were not paying attention to them.
Turning to one specific finding, according to the current study, there is no evidence of a correlation between lowering their eyebrows and feeling sad. Dogs do it, and we find it irresistible. But that does not mean they are sad. They simply do it because they are trying to make their gaze more appealing when we are nearby, when we are looking at them. Whether or not there is food. They want to maintain eye contact to communicate everything they carry in their hearts.
This study opens the door to further research. It raises questions whose answers bring us closer to learning how to identify and interpret the signals dogs produce. We now know that they try to tell us something when we are nearby. But we still need to find out, for example, whether dogs adjust those gestures and facial expressions depending on the person they are with. Does their expression really change (if this happens) when they see their ARISTOPARENT? And when they are faced with a complete stranger? Or a child? And besides that, does the facial expression or attitude of the person looking at them have an influence? Will their gestures change when someone smiles at them? Or when a person's presence seems threatening? When the person is sad? Some studies claim that they understand what we say to them and how we say it, so it does not seem very far-fetched either…
There is still much to learn, but little by little we are getting closer to understanding the mysteries surrounding our furry friends. If you would like to read about other interesting studies related to ARISTODOGS, click here.