This is the reason why some owners understand their dog’s facial expressions better

A study revealed an interesting correlation between the patterns of pets, their facial expressions, and the understanding ability of their owners.

The domestication of dogs and their evolution alongside humans has resulted in an incredibly unique bond between owners and their pets. Over time, our four-legged friends have adapted well to human communication, both verbally and non-verbally. Therefore, facial expressions play an important role in understanding dogs.

It’s widely known that dogs have highly expressive faces, and they often use various facial expressions during interactions with humans. Owners have become quite adept at reading their dogs’ facial expressions. However, according to research from George Washington University, there is still room for improvement for owners to better understand their furry friends.

Understanding facial expressions also depends on the patterns of dogs

According to the results of a study published in the Animals Journal, dogs with simpler patterns – for example, those with a solid-colored face or barely visible fur patterns – perform more facial movements during communication with humans than those with more complex facial patterns.

The procedure of the study

The experts examined data from a total of 103 dog-owner pairs during the study. Research group utilized a standardized coding system called the Dog Facial Action Coding System (DogFACS) to analyze the behavior of the participating dogs. Additionally, they developed a novel system for scaling and evaluating the facial patterns of the dogs.

The participating owners were also required to fill out a questionnaire containing various demographic data about their pets. Furthermore, they assessed how well people could judge their dog’s facial expressions in different situations.

The owners had to record their pet in the following four situations:

1.) Asocial / Dog Resting: The dog rests without making eye contact with humans.

2.) Eye Contact Only: The human maintains eye contact with the dog without speaking, gesturing, or otherwise prompting social response.

3.) Eye Contact + Unknown Words: The human looks at the dog and repeats a neutral expression twice, slowly, in a tone that is unfamiliar to the dog.

4.) Eye Contact + Familiar Words: The human looks at the dog and speaks in a tone slightly more excited than usual. They use words and/or expressions familiar to the dog, aiming to elicit a social response.

The reactions seen in the recordings had to be evaluated by the owners on a scale ranging from 1 to 10 (1 = “not expressive”; 10 = “very expressive”), and DogFACS experts also analyzed them, providing objective scores.

Evaluation

Nearly half (48.5%) of the scores given by the owners showed a difference of up to 2 points compared to the dogs’ objective behavioral scores. More than two-thirds (68.9%) showed a difference of up to 4 points.

Among the most accurate owners (those who fully agreed with the objective scores or differed by only 1 point), 30% of the dogs had simple facial features. In contrast, among the least accurate owners, all but one dog had more complex facial patterns.

The objective evaluations also highlighted that the simpler a dog’s pattern, the higher its so-called objective behavioral expressiveness, meaning its facial expressions are more pronounced.

The researchers believe that these results draw attention to important facts for the dog-owning community. “As dogs become more integrated into human society, it’s important to understand how they communicate with us and how we can better communicate with them” – says Courtney Sexton, the lead author of the study.

“Understanding what dogs are trying to tell us and what they might think or feel can significantly improve our experiences during the time we spend together—and the experiences of the dogs as well.”

Older animals are less expressive

The research also showed that older dogs are less expressive. And them facial expressions are less important in their communication with humans. Sexton explains this by noting that older dogs, with their longer and more established relationship with their human companions, don’t need to exert as much effort to be understood.

The research group also observed that working dogs and highly trained dogs can be more expressive in situations where the dog-owner relationship requires fluid communication. The animal invests more energy in reinforcing its message with facial expressions. However the owner pays much closer attention to and understands the dog’s facial expressions better.

Interpreting a dog’s facial expressions may be an easy task for a well-established pet-owner pair. But it’s not always so straightforward in every case.