Summary
Dogs can learn and understand human emotions and environmental cues simply by listening and observing their owners. Canine behaviorist Sarah Rutten explains that dogs use body language, changes in scent, and emotional patterns to gather information from humans without direct teaching.
Key Facts
- Dogs can pick up on their owner's emotional state by observing changes in body language and scent.
- They can sense how safe or unsafe an environment feels due to their sensitive noses detecting stress-related scents.
- Dogs notice emotional patterns between people and can anticipate conflicts based on repeated exposure to tense situations.
- Canines learn the contextual meaning of words by associating them with specific outcomes or emotions.
- Dogs can detect small changes signaling a change in human behavior, like leaving the house or becoming upset.
