This is a precious and heartwarming picture of Micah and Sniper observing Raaga, our street dog, alongside their dad, capturing the essence of the emotional bond between humans and dogs.
As Clive Wynne, a psychology professor and director of the Canine Science Collaboratory at Arizona State University, aptly puts it, "The emotional connection between humans and dogs is the essence of the relationship."
Our dogs are great observers. They pay close attention to our routine, movements, our sighs, eating patterns and more. In fact studies even say how dogs are excellent sentient beings at reading human facial expressions. Clive also mentions - “Just as human toddlers look to their parents for cues about how to react to the people and world around them, dogs often look to humans for similar signs. When their people project feelings of calm and confidence, dogs tend to view their surroundings as safe and secure.”
Dogs are not only intelligent but also social individuals. They have the capacity to reflect our warmth and joy as well as absorb our stress and anxiety. They can distinguish when we show kindness and compassion towards others, from anger and frustration.
Dogs do experience affective empathy. “Affective empathy refers to the sensations and feelings we get, in response to others' emotions; this can include mirroring what that person is feeling, or just feeling stressed when we detect another's fear or anxiety”
In a study published in 2020, researchers examined dog’s reactions to a human crying and laughing. Results showed dogs paying more attention to the crying human and also showed variation in heart rates mirroring the crying human’s stress response. In a study published in 2019, researchers examined the emotion contagion quotient and found that dogs and humans who spend more time together in the same environment demonstrated an increased level of emotional contagion, indicating the deep emotional connection between them.
Take Away
The story of Micah, Sniper, and Raaga is a testament to the remarkable emotional connection between humans and dogs. Dogs have an uncanny ability to observe and mirror our emotions, reminding us of the importance of empathy and understanding. As we cherish the unconditional love and companionship they provide, let us carry this tale of empathy in our hearts, forever inspired to be better human beings learning from the best - Our Dogs.
Your Dogs Observe Your Actions Towards Others: Let's Embrace Empathy for All
We consider writing about dogs a blessing. If you love this blog, please let us know in the comment section and consider sharing our work with people who might love to read them too.