Anyone who has at least one dog at home knows "that look" very well: our companions do something wrong, and at the first scolding they put on a face of abandoned children under the rain as if they were begging forgiveness. However, a study published by the Dog Cognition Centre under the Psychology Department of the University of Portsmouth suggests that looks are not an emotional response, but an active attempt to communicate that manifests especially when they are observed by a human.
One of those viral videos that come out a thousand per week shows a puppy being scolded by its owner who warns him as punishment that he will take away his plush chicken and won't go to the park for 15 days.
If we go by the face the puppy makes, it's easy to conclude that the owner is a merciless monster and must immediately retract that brutal punishment.
But sad eyes are barely a form of expression. Another very popular reaction is embarrassment, with the dog trying to hide when the owner shows it what it broke (a shoe, a sock, etc.). In general, it's believed that these expressions are involuntary and carry an important emotional component, but a recent study takes us in another direction.
Why do dogs put on sad eyes?
According to experts at the Dog Cognition Centre of the University of Portsmouth, "sad eyes" are a simple direct response to human presence and attention. The study involved 24 dogs of various breeds, aged 1 to 12 years, all family pets. The dogs were tethered a meter away from a person, and differences in their expressions were filmed.
The largest number of recordings occurred each time the dog was being observed, while they completely abandoned their expressions when they received no attention. Treats in the form of snacks had no effect either.
In other words, the evidence suggests that dogs are sensitive to human attention, and their expressions are attempts "potentially active" to communicate. Researchers have not managed to determine whether dogs are aware that they look "sadder" or if it's simply a reaction to win their owners' sympathy. Without any scientific evidence, I'll stick with the second: they are adorable manipulators.
