Dogs' Evolution to Read Human Emotions

Research indicates dogs may have evolved to interpret human emotions due to centuries of selective breeding, contrasting with findings from pet pigs. The study, published in Animal Behaviour, explores how dogs and pigs react to human vocalizations like crying and humming, highlighting dogs' adeptness at responding to emotional cues. This suggests dogs, as companion animals, exhibit stronger emotional contagion with humans compared to pigs, emphasizing their unique relationship with human emotions.