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One little dog meets two other dogs in the park. It sees the one on the left, tail going wild, and rushes right over. It sees the one on the right, and freezes, then walks the long way around. What do liking and disliking feel like to a dog? Dogs can't tell us. So let's work backwards from what they do.
Start with the moment they meet. Two dogs say hello by sniffing each other's rear end. Back there are two tiny glands that give off a scent. Researchers found it differs from dog to dog. It's different in males and females, too. One sniff tells them who's who. Next comes a round of play, to see if they get along.
A dog that wants to play drops its front legs and lifts its rear. This bow shows up almost only during play. What it means Everything next is just for fun. If it bites a little too hard, it bows again. As if to say Sorry, I didn't mean it. A big dog playing with a small one will sometimes flop over on purpose, and let the little one win.
Dogs that play fair and match each other's style become regular buddies. Dogs that play too rough or break the rules soon find nobody wants to play. So what is liking, inside the body? Researchers in Japan looked at sixteen dogs. When dogs play nicely and nuzzle each other their bodies release more of a certain chemical. It makes you want to get close and feel safe. It's called oxytocin. It also rises in both of you when you and your dog gaze at each other for a long time.
So a dog's liking may be a lot like how we feel when we see a good friend. Warm inside, wanting to get closer. And disliking? Again, the body changes first. Stiff all over, perfectly still, staring straight ahead, the fur on its back standing up. Or it turns its head away, licks its lips, and leaves. It's saying Give me some space.
Here's one more experiment. Two dogs sit side by side, taking turns giving a paw. One gets a treat every time, the other gets nothing. The one left out soon quits. It scratches, yawns, and won't look at the other dog. So a dog's dislike looks more like feeling tense and uneasy, and just wanting some distance.
Back to the park. The dog that rushed over is saying, with its whole body I feel safe. The one it walked around? Its body says I'm on edge. But how do dogs pick their friends? Do they have a best friend? Scientists admit they still don't really know. Does your dog have a best buddy, or a dog it just can't stand? Tell us in the comments.
A little dog meets two dogs in the park. It sees the one on the left and rushes over, tail going wild. It sees the one on the right, freezes, and walks the long way around.
Dogs can’t tell us how they feel. So let’s work backwards from what they do.
When two dogs meet, they sniff each other’s rear end first. Back there are two tiny glands that give off a scent.
Researchers found that scent differs from dog to dog, and between males and females. One sniff, and they know who’s who.
A dog that wants to play drops its front legs and lifts its rear. This bow shows up almost only during play. It means: everything next is just for fun. If it bites a little too hard, it bows again, as if to say, “Sorry, I didn’t mean it.”
A big dog playing with a small one will sometimes flop over on purpose and let the little one win.
Dogs that play fair and match each other’s style become regular buddies. Dogs that play too rough or break the rules soon find nobody wants to play.
Researchers in Japan studied sixteen dogs. When dogs play nicely and nuzzle each other, their bodies release more of a chemical that makes them want to get close and feel safe. It’s called oxytocin. It also rises in both of you when you and your dog gaze at each other for a long time.
So a dog’s liking may be a lot like how we feel when we see a good friend: warm inside, wanting to get closer.
Stiff all over, perfectly still, staring straight ahead, the fur on its back standing up. Or it turns its head away, licks its lips, and leaves. It’s saying: give me some space.
Two dogs sit side by side, taking turns giving a person their paw. One gets a treat every time; the other gets nothing. The one left out soon quits. It scratches, yawns, and won’t look at the other dog.
So a dog’s dislike looks more like feeling tense and uneasy, and just wanting some distance.
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