Are you sure your dog is as happy to see you as you are? What does he really think when you open the front door and your eyes meet? Is he just excited for the food he's going to get, or do they really have a bond?
Julie Hecht she is a dog behavior researcher and author of the dog behavior book Dog Genius, let's take a look at some excerpts from her book.
Why does my dog get excited when I say the word walk?
Dogs, like dolphins, monkeys and parrots, can learn by voice commands or words. A border collie dog named Chaser has learned more than 1,000 words. Scientists Chaser is said to have used a rapid mapping or inference process that is very similar to the way children learn language skills.
It involves guessing the meaning of a word based on the object used in conjunction with that word. So if you keep talking about going for a walk, and then you pick up the leash and take the dog outside, he may associate the word walk with something related to the act of going for a walk.
Why does my dog yawn every time I yawn?
Just like humans, yawning is "contagious" for dogs. study, published in the journal Biology Letters, he says that "emotional contagion" is completely normal. More importantly, they noted that when the yawn "spreads" to your dog, it means that it empathizes with you.
Do dogs really empathize with us?
A study conducted at the University of Helsinki, states that dogs sense when their owners are angry and have even evolved to act accordingly. Another study showed that dogs react in a similar way, psychologically and behaviorally, to humans when they hear a small baby cry.
Why do dogs turn away from us when we try to hug them?
psychologist, based on 250 photos of people hugging dogs, discovered a disturbing trend - the dogs were not happy about it. There are three basic signs of stress in dogs:
1. they turn their head away from what bothers them,
2. they show their teeth and
3. they drop or pull their ears back. Most of the dogs in the photos showed these signs.
Still, some dogs can handle a hug, especially if it comes from someone they know and love. In other words, dogs have many ways to show love, but hugs may not be one of them. If the dog pulls out of your embrace, try petting its head or scratching its belly instead.
Why does my dog keep sniffing my friends?
Like other animals, dogs get a lot of information about their environment based on smell. In addition, some studies show that dogs really enjoy the scent of people they know, as well as their owners.
For the study, researchers imaged the brains of dogs when they were exposed to different odors: the odor of themselves, a familiar and an unfamiliar human, a familiar dog and an unfamiliar dog. When the dogs smelled the scent of a familiar person, the part of their brain associated with the process of understanding rewards showed increased activity, even more so than when they smelled the scent of a familiar dog.
Why do dogs hide behind people's legs?
If your dog suddenly wakes up, there is a good chance that he is afraid.
Behavioral research shows that dogs are the only domesticated animals that interact with humans in the same way that babies interact with their parents. Unlike a cat or a horse, dogs that are scared or anxious will seek help and comfort from their owners.
