[/media-credit]Winston looks into the face of his owner, Kathleen O'DeKirk. Gazing at faces is how dogs pick out their owner, research shows.
Dogs can read a lot from a human’s face, according to recent research.
For one thing, they rely on seeing a face to tell whether a person is their guardian or a stranger.
They also read emotional cues on a face the same way people do with each other.
(And you thought Fido was just trying to lick your nose when he got so close!)
A study written up in Animal Behaviour described how dogs had difficultly recognizing their human “best friend” when the person had their face covered, according to a BBC News story on the research.
The hounds much prefer to gaze at and follow their owners, rather than a stranger, the study showed.
The research was done in Italy, where people watching is almost a national sport.
Paolo Mongillo from the University of Padua led the study. He explained that, although many researchers have investigated how dogs interact with humans, no one had yet researched how the animals focused on one person in preference to another – or just how much companion dogs “prefer” their owners, BBC said.
Dr. Mongillo’s team at the university’s department of experimental veterinary sciences came up with an experiment.
“We had the dog in an empty room and we instructed the owner and another person – someone unfamiliar to the dog – to walk across the room several times,” he explained.
“The people walked in opposite directions, so they crossed many times in front of the dog and we measured how long the dog looked at one person versus another.”
The research team then instructed the two people to leave the room via two different doors and allowed the dog to approach one of the doors.
“Most of the dogs gazed at their owners for most of the time and then chose to wait by the owner’s door,” said Dr Mongillo.
In the second part of the study, the scientists asked the people to cover their faces; the human volunteers then walked across the room with bags over their heads.
During this phase of the experiment, the dogs were much less attentive to their owners. This revealed just how much the animals relied on human faces for recognition.
Wild dogs rely on body signals and on cues from other animals in their social groups, but studies including this one suggest that domestic dogs are so attuned to human social groups that they are even able to recognise some human facial expressions, the BBC reported.
Thie Italian research dovetails with findings that will be presented in “Dogs Decoded” on PBS’ television program NOVA.
According to the program, dogs read human emotion the same way humans do, by reading facial cues left to right like humans. They don’t do this with other dogs. And that’s just one of the show’s interesting findings.
Check your television guide for broadcst times.
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ANIMAL TRACKS: In an effort to increase the number of lost animals reunited with their families, the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak
Region is extending its receiving and reclaim hours. Effective Nov. 1, hours will be extended to 8 a.m.- 8 p.m. during the winter months and 8 a.m. – 9 p.m. during the summer months. Adoption will be open 7 days a week from 11 am to 6:30 pm. . . .
The Dumb Friends League continues its year-long centennial celebration
with an adoption special for all felines and canines, and the promotion has been extended so more pets can find homes. Through Nov. 7, adoption fees are $100 off for all adult cats, adult dogs, puppies and kittens at both shelter locations. Each pet’s adoption fee includes spay/neuter surgery, initial vaccinations, microchip ID implant and registration and a free office visit with a participating veterinarian. . . .
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PET CALENDAR
Tagawa Gardens in Parker will host a holiday-themed fund-raising event
for more than 50 local pet charities Nov. 6 and 7, 1o a.m.-3 p.m. People and their pets are invited. Pet-themed, hand-crafted gifts will be featured from more than 70 artisans. A percentage of sale proceeds will go to the pet charities. Admission is free. Contact 303 695-4414 or DicksterK@aol.com.
Comedy for Cats, the third annual fundraiser for The Rocky Mountain
Alley Cat Alliance in Denver, will be Tuesday, Nov. 16, at the Bovine
Metropolis Theater, 1527 Champa Street. Tickets are $20 and include an
appearance by Nurse Nancy, a comedy cage match featuring It’s All About Amy (and her cats) and Dog Daze, a dessert reception and a prize drawing. Showtime is 7:30. Reserve your seats at reservations@bovinemetropolis.com. For more information, go to www.bovinemetropolis.com,.
Reach John Davidson at JeDavidson@denverpost.com