According to an article by Sarah Griffiths of Mail Online, recent scientific research from Emory University's Department of Psychology, found that dogs are able to recognize human and dog faces. Previously, this function has only been demonstrated in humans and primates.
Using fMRI scans, the research team discovered no difference in dogs' mental activity when looking at human faces or the back of human heads. This suggests that dogs lack the specific face recognition functions found in the brains of humans and other primates.
The result of the study found that dogs that live with families were more responses to human faces, and were more observant of familiar rather than unfamiliar human faces. It was concluded from this study that dogs are capable of facial recognition. Looks like there is no need to worry that you dog will forget you!
Another study showed that dogs follow the gaze of a human if the human first establishes eye contact with the dog. “So the dog knows the gaze-shift is directed at them.” Kaminski added, "This study moves forward what we understand about dog cognition.
Getting in a Dog's Face and Personal Space
Much like hugging, dogs tend to dislike it when humans get in their faces. Think about how it would make you feel! Avoid putting your hands in a dog's face, towering over dogs, and rushing towards them. This is especially important if the dog does not know you well.
While dogs can indeed get upset by a situation, they don't get mad at someone in the same way that you do. According to HealthyPsych, anger is what psychologists refer to as a secondary emotion, which is a human response to primary emotions like fear and sadness.
Staring Can Make a Dog Feel Challenged
For a dog, a stranger staring at them might be seen as a challenge, threat, or something to make them uneasy. They may even fear you could be trying to take a resource, such as a toy or chew, away from them. That's why it's best to act calm around new dogs.
Just as humans stare into the eyes of someone they adore, dogs will stare at their owners to express affection. In fact, mutual staring between humans and dogs releases oxytocin, known as the love hormone.
Your dog knows you're not the same species—which, if you frequently use the term “dog parent,” might feel like a blow. But just because your dog can recognize you're not a canine doesn't mean they don't consider you family!
Dogs are pack animals who live in a well-established hierarchy, and they see their humans as members of their pack. Due to this, it is important to establish yourself as the pack leader while still showing respect and affection to your canine companion.
But while their short-term memory could maybe use some improving, their long-term memory is impressive, to say the least. Dogs most certainly recognize and remember their owners, even after long absences. This can be attributed to numerous factors, but they mainly rely on their sense of smell.
It's a sign of affection, closeness, and connection, and your 'furkid' is saying that it feels safe to be with you. It's a continuation of the bonding process that began when you and your dog first met each other. Your dog is reassured by your presence and it needs constant confirmation that you are there for him.
The truth is that your dog will almost always remember you, however long you've been apart. Dogs don't forget their beloved owners, even after months or even years apart.
People talk to their adult dogs as if they were puppies. We often say the same sweet, nonsensical things to our dogs that we say to our babies—and in almost the same slow, high-pitched voice. Now, scientists have shown that puppies find our pooch-directed speech exciting, whereas older dogs are somewhat indifferent.
In general, Bray says dogs probably think about all the staples in their lives, from food and play to other dogs and their pet parents. Like humans, how much time they spend pondering a specific focus “depends on the dog and their individual preferences and experiences,” she notes.
With so many opinions and misinformation about dog eye contact, it's understandable why people wonder what eye contact means to a dog. Eye contact happens naturally; it's part of normal body language. However, staring is considered rude and it's scary to most dogs.
Dogs absolutely can see TV, and many seem to enjoy it. There are a number of features about television shows that dogs find attractive. Some of these are visual, such as motion, while others relate to the sounds coming from the TV. Dog eyes are very different from human eyes, so they see things on TV differently.
So, yes, a puppy can definitely think of you as his “mother” — that is, his provider and protector — and develop as strong an emotional bond with you as if you were blood-related. Your puppy will also quickly learn to pick you out among strangers, both by sight and through his powerful sense of smell.
Animal memory is thought to be much more simplistic than human memory, and dogs have episodic memories, which means they are only able to remember certain events in their life. While your dog will remember you leaving the house, they most likely won't understand how long you were away.
Eye Contact
You'd think she'd look away in hopes of getting a little privacy, but she locks eyes with you instead. That's because when your dog is in that pooping position, she's vulnerable, and she's looking to you to protect her. "Your dog is instinctively aware of his defenselessness.
“The main reason dogs follow us to the bathroom is because they like to be where we are,” Dr. Coppola explains. “Dogs are obligate social animals, which means socialization is a genuinely natural behavior for them. This is part of what makes them such fantastically loyal companions.”
If your dog follows you everywhere then it's a sign that they trust and love you and that you make them feel safe. Following you very closely can be a sign that they're bored, they want something, they're feeling scared or are just being nosy.
Don't stare, shout at, or loom over a dog – all these things can seem confrontational to a dog, which might cause them to react or be afraid. Approach side on in a calm, gentle manner.
Light biting or mouthing is a common way that dogs explore the world around them and is a behavior that dogs will engage in during play. While generally not very enjoyable for us, it is a natural part of how dogs play with each other, and of course how they engage with their toys.