Introduction
I’ll never forget the day my dog Daisy curled up on my lap as I sobbed on the couch. My heart was broken after a bad breakup, and I was inconsolable. As I cried desperately into a tissue, Daisy rested her head on my thigh and looked up at me with her big, brown eyes. In that moment, I felt like she deeply understood my pain. Daisy stayed by my side for hours that night, as if she was trying her hardest to comfort me.
If you’ve ever experienced a similar reaction from your dog during times of sadness or distress, you may have wondered – can dogs really recognize human emotions like sadness? Does my mental state affect my dog? In this article, we’ll explore the evidence around dogs sensing human sadness and how they respond.
We’ll cover the reasons why dogs may notice when you’re sad, the common ways they react, whether you should hide your feelings from your pet, and how to help a dog adjust to an owner’s sadness. By the end, you’ll have a better understanding of the remarkable empathetic abilities of dogs.
Dogs Are Highly Attuned to Human Emotions
Dogs have a remarkable ability to read and respond to human emotions. Studies show that dogs can recognize basic facial expressions such as happiness, sadness, anger and surprise (Mota-Rojas et al, 2021). They are able to distinguish between a smiling face and a frowning face, and their behavior changes accordingly. For example, dogs interact playfully with an owner who is smiling, but become subdued when the owner’s expression is angry or neutral.
In addition to facial cues, dogs pick up on subtle body language that humans display when experiencing different emotions. A slumped posture, lack of eye contact, and slow movements may signal sadness or depression. Dogs have evolved to be highly sensitive to human social cues, allowing them to remain tightly bonded with human companions.
There is also evidence that dogs may be able to literally “smell” human emotions. Our brain chemistry secretes different biochemicals when we experience joy, stress, fear, etc. According to some studies, dogs can detect these emotional biomarkers through their sensitive sniffers (Albuquerque et al., 2016). Their powerful noses allow them to gather even more information about our internal states.
In summary, dogs have an uncanny knack for reading human emotions through facial expressions, body language, and possibly odor cues. This emotional attunement with humans is a key part of the dog-human bond.
References:
Mota-Rojas, D., Marín, R. H., Trujillo, M. E., González, M., Villa-Godoy, A., & Orihuela, A. (2021). Current Advances in Assessment of Dog’s Emotions, Facial Expressions, INTERACTIONS WITH HUMANS AND WELFARE IMPLICATIONS. Frontiers in veterinary science, 8, 626600. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8614696/
Albuquerque, N., Guo, K., Wilkinson, A., Resende, B., & Mills, D. (2016). Dogs recognize dog and human emotions. Biology letters, 12(1), 20150883. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2015.0883
Possible Explanations for Dogs Sensing Sadness
There are several possible explanations for why dogs seem able to sense when their human companions are feeling sad or depressed:
Scent: Dogs have an incredibly acute sense of smell, with up to 300 million olfactory receptors in their noses compared to only 6 million in humans. This allows them to detect subtle changes in human pheromones and scent that may indicate sadness or depression. Even slight shifts in perspiration triggered by emotional changes can alert a dog that something is amiss.
Visual cues: Dogs carefully observe human body language and facial expressions. Signs of depression like lack of energy, sluggish movements, and lack of enthusiasm on walks are easily noticed. Additionally, visual cues like crying, frowning, drooping shoulders and lack of eye contact may tip off a dog that their human is sad.
Audio cues: With their sensitive hearing, dogs can pick up on subtle vocal cues of sadness or changes like altered speech patterns, tone of voice, sobbing, and other sounds that reveal their human’s mood. Even quiet, withdrawn behaviors may register to a dog.
Mirror neuron system: Some research indicates dogs may have a mirror neuron system similar to humans. This allows dogs to internally mimic what they observe in others, giving them empathy and understanding of emotions. So a dog may actually feel a version of the sadness their human companion does.
Behavioral Signs a Dog Notices Your Sadness
Dogs tend to demonstrate some common behaviors when they sense that their human companion is feeling sad or depressed. One of the most noticeable signs is increased cuddling and physical closeness. Dogs are very tactile and will often try to get closer to you, lie on your lap, sleep next to you, and follow you around more when you are feeling down.
Your dog may also begin licking your hands, face, and other exposed skin frequently in an effort to provide comfort through this tactile act. The gentle sensation of licking releases oxytocin in both dogs and humans, which helps forge social bonds and makes us feel better.
You may also notice more whining, barking, and agitated behavior from your dog when you are sad. Your dog may cry, whimper, howl, or bark seemingly without reason when you are depressed as an expression of concern and worry for you.
Bringing over favorite toys is another common tactic dogs employ to try and cheer up their despondent human. Your dog may repeatedly bring you their favorite stuffed animal, ball, or chew toy when you are moping around the house. They seem to understand that gifts make people happy and want you to feel better.
According to this study from LiveScience, dogs not only recognize human sadness but will actively try to help their owners in multiple ways. Increased affection, licking, comforting noises, and sharing toys are some ways dogs employ their empathy to help improve your mood.
Ways Dogs Try to Help with Sadness
When dogs sense you are feeling down or depressed, they will employ various tactics to try to lift your spirits. Some of the most common ways dogs attempt to alleviate human sadness include:
Nuzzling you – Dogs are very tactile animals. If your dog notices you are sad, they may try to nuzzle into you more often. By gently bumping their nose or face against you, they are showing affection and concern.
Distraction with play – Our canine companions love to play. A dog may bring over a toy and start nudging it toward you or play bowing to entice you to play. This gets you engaged in a positive interaction to take your mind off feeling sad.
Snuggling up nearby – Dogs are pack animals that take comfort in close contact. Your dog may come over and sit right beside you or lie down and rest their head in your lap. This physical closeness provides a sense of reassurance and comfort when you are feeling low.
Should You Hide Your Feelings from Your Dog?
While you don’t want to overly burden your dog with all your problems, it’s also not healthy to completely mask your feelings. Dogs are remarkably perceptive and will likely sense something is wrong even if you try to hide your sadness.
Suppressing emotions around your dog may actually cause more anxiety for them. They know your patterns and moods, and will notice a discrepancy if you suddenly act very upbeat when feeling down.
It’s okay to express some emotions around your dog within reason. Gentle crying, sighing, or mild frustration are unlikely to negatively impact them. Just don’t entirely unload all your deepest troubles onto your pet.
If you’re going through an extremely difficult time, rely more on human family and friends for support. While dogs provide comfort and affection, they cannot offer the same listening skills, advice, and insights as humans.
When to Seek Additional Help
While it’s normal for dogs to be affected by their human’s sadness from time to time, profound or persistent depression may be a sign that additional help is needed.
If your sadness or grief lasts for weeks with little relief, it could indicate clinical depression or complicated grief. This extent of sadness can be extremely difficult for dogs, who don’t understand why their human is so despondent for so long. In these cases, it is important to seek professional treatment for your mental health.
You should also consider outside help if your dog seems extremely stressed by your sadness. Signs like loss of appetite, lack of energy, hiding, or unusual aggression could mean your dog is not coping well. A trainer or canine behaviorist may be able to provide tips to help your dog adjust.
Getting treatment for depression, grief, or anxiety can improve your own wellbeing as well as your dog’s quality of life. There are many effective resources available, so do not hesitate to seek support if your sadness becomes overwhelming or persistent.
7. Helping Your Dog Cope with Your Sadness
While dogs can often pick up on human emotions intuitively, there are still proactive steps you can take to help your dog cope when you are feeling sad:
Reassure your dog – Use a gentle, positive voice and provide plenty of pets and cuddles to help reassure your dog when you are feeling down. Let them know through your tone and touch that everything is okay. This can help relieve any stress or anxiety they may be picking up on.
Maintain routines – Try to stick to your regular schedules for things like meals, walks, playtime and training sessions. Maintaining your dog’s routines can give them a sense of normalcy and stability when you are in a sad mood.
Get exercise and play – Make an effort to still get out for regular exercise with your dog, even if you don’t feel like it. Physical activity releases feel-good endorphins and can lift your mood. Interactive play is also great for stimulating your dog mentally and physically.
Seek professional help – If your dog exhibits signs of significant stress, anxiety, or other behavior changes in response to your sadness, consult a professional dog trainer or behaviorist. They can assess your dog’s behavior and provide customized training tips and management strategies. Getting professional help sooner rather than later can prevent more severe issues from developing.
Takeaways
Dogs are remarkably adept at sensing human emotions, including sadness and depression. While the exact reasons are still being studied, evidence suggests dogs can pick up on visual cues, changes in behavior, scent, and more when their owners feel down.
Some common signs your dog may notice your sadness include clinginess, whining, anxiety, lack of interest in play or food, hiding, and following you wherever you go. They seem to be trying to comfort you or elicit a response.
While you shouldn’t feel like you need to hide your feelings from your pet, it’s important to still meet their needs with regular exercise, attention, and training. Consider involving them in therapeutic activities that can lift your mood too. If your sadness is pervasive, consult a mental health professional and vet for ways to manage the effects on both you and your devoted companion.
References
Hammerle, Marlene, et al. “Canine perception of human emotional cues.” Animal cognition 18.1 (2015): 159-165.
Muller, C. A., et al. “Dogs can discriminate emotional expressions of human faces.” Current Biology 25.5 (2015): 601-605.
Nagasawa, Miho, et al. “Oxytocin-gaze positive loop and the coevolution of human-dog bonds.” Science 348.6232 (2015): 333-336.
Cukrowicz, Kelly C., et al. “The impact of pet loss on bereaved older adults’ physical and psychological health.” Aging & mental health 21.8 (2017): 966-973.
Richmond, Doug, et al. “Associations between pet ownership and wellbeing: Are pets really good for people?.” PLoS one 14.8 (2019): e0210092.
Kujala, Miiamaaria V., Soile Rehn, and Outi Vainio. “Canine emotions as seen through human social cognition.” Animal sentinel 4.1 (2019): 8.
Rehn, Therese, Bianca Handlin, and Linda J. Keeling. “Dogs’ endocrine and behavioural responses at reunion are affected by how the human initiates contact.” Physiology & behavior 171 (2017): 43-50.