New study shows Dogs are amazed by rude people
Dogs apparently observe people much more closely than previously assumed. A new study from Austria suggests that the animals recognize when humans violate social expectations - and react with visible surprise.
29.05.2026, 09:04
29.05.2026, 09:42
SDA
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- Researchers have investigated how dogs react to social interactions between humans.
- If people behave differently than expected, the animals react with increased attention.
- The study suggests that dogs can understand human gestures and social rules.
Anyone who owns a dog knows the feeling: it often seems as if the animal is closely observing its human's every movement and mood. A new study now suggests that dogs can even recognize when humans violate social expectations.
A research team from the Messerli Research Institute for Human-Animal Interaction at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna showed various videos to 39 domestic dogs. In them, two actresses communicated with each other using gestures.
Sometimes one woman beckoned her colleague towards her, sometimes she sent her away with a clear hand gesture. In some scenes, however, the second person reacted in exactly the opposite way: she approached despite the dismissive gesture or moved away despite the invitation.
It was precisely at these moments that the dogs became particularly attentive. The researchers found that the pupils of the animals dilated significantly more than in the expected reactions. Such a change is considered a sign of surprise and increased concentration.
The results, which were published in the journal "Cognition", indicate that dogs not only perceive individual gestures. Rather, they seem to develop expectations about how humans should react to certain signals.
The study thus provides further evidence of how closely dogs observe human behavior - and how well they can assess social situations between people.
