As pet owners, it’s tough to resist our furry friend’s puppy dog eyes. We all know that our dogs know how to capitalize on those cute eyes to get what they want. According to recent research, this might not be by accident.
Research published in 2019 by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that our domestication of dogs might have led to the evolution of their facial muscles to specifically communicate with humans better. The study revealed that a muscle responsible for raising the inner eyebrows intensely is something dogs have, but wolves don’t. Interestingly, such an action resembles that of a sad human expression, eliciting a nurturing response from humans.
The research also suggests that we tend to go for dogs that showcase infant-like features like a large forehead and bigger eyes. The study remarks that “The most remarkable among dogs’ behavioral adaptations, as a result of selection during domestication, is their ability to read and use human communication in ways that other animals cannot.” By doing the “puppy dog eyes,” dogs know they’re going to get what they want, be it food, toys, or attention.
Further, a 2022 research presented during the annual Experimental Biology shows that dogs have a higher proportion of “fast-twitch” muscle fibers in their facial muscles than wolves. This aspect lets dogs communicate and express their thoughts better and faster with humans.
It’s worth noting that the muscle fibers in humans’ faces are mostly made up of “fast-twitch” muscle fibers, which lets us express our thoughts immediately. This suggests that the fast-twitch fibers in dogs’ faces are closer to humans, and their facial expressions have evolved to improve their connection with humans.
Our furry friends are evolving to master manipulation. Beyond their puppy dog eyes, dogs can deceive us in other ways to get what they want. A 2017 University of Zurich study suggests that dogs can use tactical deception. The research sought to understand if our furry friends can differentiate between human behaviors and use them to their advantage.
During the study, 27 dogs were paired with two human partners, one more lenient with treats and one more strict. The dogs had to lead their human partners to one of three boxes, one with a sausage, one with a non-preferred treat, and one empty. The study found that dogs could distinguish human behaviors and used them to their benefit.
Daphna Buchsbaum, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto’s department of psychology, says that although this is a good step in studying dogs’ social reasoning abilities, there needs to be more research conducted to definitively say that dogs can deceive.
Dogs have undoubtedly evolved to communicate more efficiently with humans to fit different situations, needs and wants. While more research is needed to solidify that dogs are indeed master manipaw-lators, one thing is for sure – it’s difficult to say no to our fur baby’s puppy dog eyes and antics.
