How Can We Tell What Our Dog is Feeling Without Over-Interpreting?
I see it all the time—videos of dogs “smiling,” “feeling guilty,” or “acting out of spite” after their humans have been away on a trip. But do dogs really experience emotions the same way humans do, or are we just projecting our own feelings onto them?
As veterinarians and behaviourists, we walk a fine line: recognizing that dogs do have emotions while avoiding anthropomorphism—the tendency to interpret animal behaviour through a human lens.
So, let’s break this down scientifically (because you know I love me some science!)
Do Dogs Feel Emotions Like We Do?
Short answer: Yes! But not in the same way.
Neuroscience tells us that dogs have brain structures similar to ours for processing emotions—particularly the limbic system, which regulates fear, pleasure, and social bonding (Carlson, 2017; Panksepp, 2004).
Functional MRI (fMRI) studies show that dogs have activation in the caudate nucleus when exposed to familiar human scents, suggesting positive emotions and attachment (Berns et al., 2015).
However, where dogs differ from humans is complex emotions like shame, guilt, or spite. These require a level of self-awareness that we have yet to prove exists in dogs.
Example: That “guilty look” when you come home to a shredded couch? Studies show that it’s not actually guilt—it’s appeasement behaviour, a response to your body language and tone of voice, rather than an admission of wrongdoing (Horowitz, 2009).
What Emotions Can We Confidently Say Dogs Feel?
Research suggests dogs experience primary emotions—the ones that don’t require complex reasoning.
These include:
Happiness – Relaxed body language, social play, and an increase in affiliative behaviors such as tail wagging and seeking proximity to familiar humans (Landsberg, Radosta, & Ackerman, 2023).
Fear – Cowering, lip licking, tucked tail, and avoidance behaviours, which are mediated by the amygdala and conditioned fear responses (Panksepp, 2004).
Sadness & Grief – Withdrawal, loss of appetite, and mourning behaviours after the loss of an attachment figure, often presenting as separation distress (Denenberg, 2021).
Excitement – Heightened alertness, prancing, increased tail movement, and an increase in dopamine release in response to stimuli that predict rewards.
Love & Attachment – Seeking comfort, oxytocin release in human-dog interactions (Nagasawa et al., 2015).
Where we run into trouble is assuming they feel secondary emotions—like pride, guilt, embarrassment, or resentment. These require a cognitive awareness of how others perceive them, which we have no definitive proof that dogs possess.
How Do We Study Canine Emotions Without Over-Interpreting?
The gold standard in animal behaviour research is to measure what we can observe while avoiding confirmation bias (assuming an outcome that fits our beliefs).
Best Scientific Methods:
Neuroscience (MRI & neurochemical studies) – Measures dopamine & oxytocin levels in response to stimuli
Behavioural analysis – Looking at body language, response to rewards, and stress indicators
Ethology (naturalistic observation) – Studying dogs in a controlled yet natural environment
What Doesn’t Work?
Projecting human emotions – E.g., “He looks guilty, so he must feel guilty”
Viral videos without context – A dog “laughing” may just be panting after play
Personal anecdotes over data – Just because a dog seems to be plotting revenge doesn’t mean they have a grudge
Why This Matters: Better Understanding = Better Welfare
Misinterpreting dog emotions can lead to welfare concerns and training mistakes.
Example 1: If we think a dog is “acting stubborn” instead of fearful, we might punish rather than reassure.
Example 2: If we assume a dog is “jealous” rather than anxious, we might mismanage social interactions.
The science of canine emotions is evolving, but one thing is clear—dogs are not little humans in fur coats. They are incredibly social, emotionally intelligent animals who experience the world in ways that are both familiar and fundamentally different from us.
TL;DR: Dogs feel emotions, but not necessarily in the way we assume. The best way to understand them? Science, not assumptions.
References:
Berns, G. S., Brooks, A. M., & Spivak, M. (2015). Scent of the familiar: An fMRI study of canine brain responses to familiar and unfamiliar human and dog odors. Behavioural Processes, 110, 45-53. DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2014.02.011 Link
Carlson, N. R. (2017). Physiology of Behavior. Pearson.
Denenberg, S. (2021). Small Animal Veterinary Psychiatry. Elsevier.
Horowitz, A. (2009). Disambiguating the “guilty look”: Salient prompts to a familiar dog behaviour. Behavioural Processes, 81(3), 447-452. DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2009.03.014 Link
Landsberg, G., Radosta, L., & Ackerman, L. (2023). Behavior Problems of the Dog and Cat (4th ed.). Saunders Ltd. ISBN: 978-0702082146.
Nagasawa, M., Mitsui, S., En, S., Ohtani, N., Ohta, M., Sakuma, Y., Kikusui, T., & Ohta, H. (2015). Social evolution: Oxytocin-gaze positive loop and the coevolution of human-dog bonds. Science, 348(6232), 333-336. DOI: 10.1126/science.1261022 Link
Panksepp, J. (2004). Affective neuroscience: The foundations of human and animal emotions. Oxford university press.
What do you think? Have you ever caught yourself over-interpreting your dog's emotions? Let’s talk about it in the comments! 👇
Comments