Scientists have confirmed that dogs use facial expressions to communicate with humans

We are used to thinking that dogs express their emotions by facial expressions, this even affects our attitude towards them. Dogs that raise their eyebrows and look with big sad eyes have been proven to be more likely to be picked up from Paedomorphic Facial Expressions Give Dogs a Selective Advantage. …

Many animals, including humans, look sad when they are sad, no matter if anyone sees them or not. But if an animal deliberately takes some kind of expression when attention is paid to it, this is already a means of communication. And apparently, dogs can do that.

According to the study Human attention affects facial expressions in domestic dogs. zoopsychologists, puppies often use facial expressions when the owners look at them. During the experiment, this happened regardless of whether they were given food (which is much more attractive for dogs than communication with a person).

Therefore, scientists have come to the conclusion that facial expressions are not just an involuntary response to arousal. Otherwise, dogs would use it with the same frequency both when receiving food and when making eye contact with humans. This conclusion may seem obvious, but only because we are used to expecting human emotions from pets.

For example, it seems to us that a dog or cat that is naughty feels guilty and understands what they are being punished for. But scientists discovered Anthropomorphism and anthropocentrism as influences in the quality of life of companion animals. that animals simply use facial expressions to soften the anger of their owners. They do not feel guilty and do not understand what they did wrong.

What explains this ability

Dogs evolved in parallel with humans, and it seems quite natural that they have developed traits that allow our two species to communicate. So, during eye contact, both humans and dogs produce the hormone oxytocin Oxytocin-gaze positive loop and the coevolution of human-dog bonds. that causes pleasant sensations. Moreover, if you meet the dog's gaze and then point it to some hidden object, the dog will find that object. Interestingly, wolves, the closest relatives of dogs, on the contrary, avoid the human gaze.

In the process of evolution, dogs have developed the ability to use facial expressions not only for random transmission of emotions, but also for communication.

It is not yet known exactly if wolves have the same ability. But since they live in packs, it is quite possible that they have it even better developed, or they just communicate in a different way. In primates, for example, facial expressions appeared not to communicate with humans, but to communicate with each other. If wolves have the same ability, it can be assumed that it developed due to a social necessity that has nothing to do with humans.

Be that as it may, so far we can only say with confidence that dogs more often use facial expressions when a person is looking at them. But what this means is a completely different question.