Can pets read human emotions?

It seems that most pets can sense human emotions, especially when humans are nervous or frightened. Some can even smell fear because of our hormones. I have noticed that with dogs. My dog would sniff and bark even when we could not see what she was barking about.

I also ran across another neighbor's dogs who met me for the first time. One of them I was not comfortable around, and he started jumping at me without me saying a word. The other dog that I was ok with did not react, but she watched to see what was going on. After I mentioned how I felt to a witness, he told me that the other dog was reacting to my fear. I believed him and did everything I could to calm down. The dog finally left me alone.

I agree that animals in general, and dogs in particular, can usually sense our emotions , and sometimes they seem to just pick up on our thoughts as well. My belief is that they can read the "pictures"in our mind as we visualize our thoughts. I am not sure if all dogs can read all people, but I do believe that some animals bond with their owners enough to do that. Some dogs seem more sensitive to our thoughts than other ones do.

My Chipper also listens to everything that I say, and you can see his little face trying to puzzle it out sometimes when he is not sure what I am talking about. But if I say the B-word (bath), then he is headed for under the couch to hide.
Sheba, my Pommie girl, was just as smart as Chipper, but was not "tuned-in", and she ignored everything unless she heard her name mentioned, and then her little head popped right up, and she started listening.

Yes, they do and especially when it comes to dogs. I've been going through a lot of rage lately so every time I go yelling and screaming, she immediately goes into hiding into the bedroom on the bottom right corner of the bed, which happens to be my side and is nearest the wall. They don't know if it was them that has done something wrong so they naturally cower with their tail in between their legs. When my yelling stops and awhile has passed, she does come looking for me so that she can be cradled. Also, the man in this house is a depressive person who does nothing but stay in bed so, of course, she picks up on that and you can see the sadness in her face. Tiny most definitely knows there is a problem in this home and will do anything to stay out of trouble.

This type of discussion fascinates me and I find it incredibly interesting.
I believe all animals can read human emotions and many of our own pets have the same emotions as we do, meaning they are very in tune with their owners feelings. I think this is especially the case with pets like dogs who aim to please their masters, are extremely loyal and seem to sense when their owners need their company or help.

My dog Carling can certainly sense my emotions. If I get upset he will come over to me, and put his head on my leg.One time he sat on the sofa and put his head on my shoulder, it made me cry even more knowing that he was there for me. He is such a sweetheart and he has got me through a very though few years.

I know for a fact that my dog can read my emotions. It is amazing how he reacts to my own emotions. Sometimes, when I am sad, he will come to me and sit next to me. He then proceeds to lick my arm in a way that it feels like he's trying to treat the wound. His warmness being next to me and the way he tries to cure me usually makes me feel better. He can tell when I am happy as well, he usually responds a lot faster and has a sort of "smile" so to speak. Dogs are amazing.

I had a very rough week last week. I was talking on the phone, sitting on my bed with Prissy. During my conversation, I began to cry pretty hard. Prissy immediately jumped up, looked around at me very alarmed. She started whimpering and whining. She came up to me, got right in my face and started licking my tears. She was gently tapping my face with her paw. She was being so sweet. She knew mommy was sad :-( She was trying to cheer me up and make me feel better. Sometimes dogs can offer better comfort to you than some humans!

When I'm sad our puppy (he is 8 months old) will try to console me. He will lay close to me and look at me with a very concerned look on his face. So yes I do believe they can read our emotions. Like when I am happy he usually jumps around and wants to play.

I'm a firm believer that certainly dogs can read ones mood, probably picks up some kind of vibes. Or maybe it's the animals "sixth sense" but they certainly will pick up on a mood very quickly.
Cats I think to a point are capable of the same, especially if they are an established house cat (rather than one who roams, coming in for food etc.) Other pets no except maybe small monkeys. Never having owned a monkey that's just speculation.

I don't know that ALL pets can, I wouldn't put much stake in your goldfish knowing how you feel... I'm not even sure cats do, in my experience. But dogs on the other hand have evolved with humans for thousands of years and I think they have adapted to us a lot. There is research that dogs wag their tails only because humans think it's cute, and they also have the ability to see where our eyes are looking and follow our line of sight. I find these things to be very impressive and it wouldn't surprise me if they've learned to read much more about our behavior than we know so far. Also, animals seem to sometimes be able to sense things that we humans can't, and we can't explain even how they do it. I wouldn't at all be surprised if dogs have picked up a sense to detect if their owner is feeling an extreme emotion. It's fun to think about, dogs really are amazing animals!

Absolutely, whenever I was feeling sick or sad about something, my coonhound wouldn't leave me alone. She would follow me from room to room and lay next to me the whole time. Sometimes she would just stand there staring into my face while I was laying down.

One time, and the only time she ever did this, she nipped my finger when I was trying to get her off of our bed. If it was anyone else she would have taken their hand off completely, because she did not like to get picked up at all - I was the only one she would let pick her up. She was stubborn too though and wouldn't move if she was comfortable somewhere. Anyhow, I gave her the cold shoulder the whole next day and didn't pet her or acknowledge her or anything. She kept following me around the house and wimpering because she didn't understand why I was ignoring her, lol.

My cat Jane always comes to cuddle when me or one of my roommates is crying or upset. It's the sweetest thing, and exactly what you need on a bad day. I've also had pets that didn't seem to notice or care, or showed their concern in different ways. My cat Daria would prowl when I seemed upset, presumably to secure the perimiter. I think some individual animals are more sensitive than others, just like it is with humans.

Pets have a vested interest in their owners viewing them positively and ensuring that their human is able to maintain its food-and-shelter providing functions. So it makes sense to me that, after years and years of breeding, many of them would be good at (and interested in) helping their human buddies to cope with life's emotional ups and downs. I see it as mutually beneficial evolution. Perhaps it's not as selfless as it seems at first glance, but I still think its adorable, and I will continute to encourage it.

They can read facial expressions.. You know this because they don't like it when people wear sun glasses, they can't read their eyes and see what they are thinking.

I also think that animals can feel your emotions, especially dogs. My uncle used to have a golden retriever and there is a very interesting story I have about it. My dad had alot of medical problems. He had arrythmias and had to go to a surgery for a pacemaker to be inserted. He was fine a few weeks later and went fishing with a few friends to a lake for a few days. At the lake he developed high fever, slept alot and at the end started rambling and taling things that didnt make sense. He was taken to a emergency unit and put on life support. He had multi-organ dysfunction and the doctors told us he was probably going to die. (he was on respirators and it was really hard to watch). Needless to say the whole family felt very sad and bad. It lasted for a few eeks before he got better. In that time my uncles all came together to play a game of cards and my cousin came to play instead of my father. The uncles dog (Snoopy was the name) came to the table and started growling at my cousin and didnt allow him to sit on my dads chair. He just was on the ground letting out sad noises.It shows how these animals have a soul and emotions, it makes me sad just thinking about Snoopy. Dogs really are a mans best friend.

Pets can definitely read and understand human emotions, my cat always cuddles up next to me when i look upset and is very playful when i look happier.

That is a very good question. My dog usually can tell when I am feeling down. I do believe to a certain extent that indeed, pets can read human emotions and react to them to make us humans feel better. Many people find relief when their pets understand how they are truly feeling inside. Many pet owners feel the same way.

(06-28-2012, 04:07 AM)Ram Wrote: Every species have different ways to express the same emotions. So it is not easy for different species to understand each other's mood.

When a human is happy, or sad, or crying, do you believe a pet know what is going on?

If you have had a pet, how does your pet react to your own emotions?

I believe that they can feel what you feel. When my grandmother was dying and I was very lonely, my pet dog at home would always cuddle with me and try to console me by hugging me. When I go visit my grandmother, he would also have that sad and concerned look on his face. They are so much like human beings, only that they seem to be more loyal and trustworthy. I really don't know what I will do when the time comes that my dog will pass away. He's been with me through good and bad times and I think I am stronger because of him.

It might be a coincidence, but I'm sure my younger cat Minnie can tell when I'm sad, as she always comes over and gives a questioning little "Meow?". I definitely think animals can detect if you're nervous or anxious though, especially. A lot of the time they see you as the "pack leader" or "alpha animal", and they're looking to you for guidance! So if something concerns you, then it should definitely concern them too. Of course, try telling this to a cat climbing a 20 foot tree. Then it's all "I'm fine, mum! Don't worry!".

I think dogs would probably be even more perceptive of human emotions than cats, as well, because their emotions seem to vary more in general. If you yell at a dog it will become sad, but if you yell at a cat it'll just get scared by the loud noise (mostly. Of course I'd never yell at my kitties anyway!).

(06-29-2012, 05:58 PM)TreeClimber Wrote: I don't know about most animals, but I believe that dogs can read human emotions. I've experience it with my dogs. They seem to have a high capacity for empathy.

I think they can sense things that we don't pick up on. For instance, they can read our body language, the scents we put off out, the tone of our voice, the way we express ourselves. While they might not know our exact words, they are adept at interpreting those signs far better than we are.

I know when I was going through grief when my Dad died, my upsetting emotions upset my dog. I couldn't figure out why she had become so unruly. Then, it dawned on me that I was like a walking emotional time bomb and she was reacting to the energy that I was exuding. My emotional upheaval had a negative impact on her well being. So much so that she became a nervous, anxious, fearful dog. We were like two peas in a pod. Once I was aware of what was going on, I was able to help her through it. I don't know if she understood that it was grief, but she knew that something was not right with the pack and she reflected that.

I remember another incident involving my Lab. I was going through a terrible time with my arthritis and I was in pain a lot. She somehow knew my bad days. She would be very gentle around me. When she would come up on the bed to sit with me, she'd do it carefully. Then, she would lay her head on my leg very lightly as if she knew that I hurt. I always thought it amazing how she could read me.

I had to add to your quote just to tell you that the picture of your dog is so adorable! SO CUTE!

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I think that dogs are very aware of emotions. But I think that they need time to calm themselves down before they can focus on you. I can be totally sick, but my dogs will jump all over me when they come in because they are so excited to be inside. But after they have time with mom, they calm down. I have noticed that they lick me more when I feel sick. I also know that when I am upset and yelling, they cower. I don't do this that often, because now that I know that they are affected, I am aware of how I act around them. They are like little children. You have to careful of how you speak around them because they are affected by the tone of your voice.

It's really easy for dogs and cats and horses (I mention because those are what I know) to 'read' emotions. Like human babies, they are tuned into Source, and their connection with 'all that is' , is 'pure'. It doesn't have everyone trying to 'train it out of them. So of course, they never told themselves they could not. We call it instinct, but that is what it really is.

It's one of the reasons I love animals so much. They naturally are who they are, and I so appreciate them for feeling the energy when I'm not feeling well, as well as feeling it when I'm sad or whatever.

I love how when I'm sick they don't 'hound' me, sorry, I could not resist, to go outside, etc. They just know. What I don't really like is how they can get depressed along with me. That bothers me, and I'm glad when they don't stay that way also.

Animals 'feel the energy' because they have not put up barriers to their 'knowing' it like we have. It is just there, like 'reading the newspaper', so to speak.

I have even seen people become more aware of energy by just paying attention to their animals. Everyone nowadays pretty much knows that dogs can feel fear. That is just one example, but we can consciously know it too. I love how I have seen this 'wake people up' spiritually.

I have always believed without a doubt that animals can read your emotions! I can feel what my animals are thinking and they seem to be able to sense the same thing about me. I also think that there might be a biological component to some of their awareness into our emotions as well, such as smelling certain kinds of chemical changes in our bodies when our emotions change. I also think that body language says a lot to our animals. I think that they are much more aware of emotions than people may realize.

yes i believe pets can read emotions, especially dogs and cats, my dog rosie used to sit on my knee with her head on my shoulder when i was upset, if i was in a mood she would lie in her bed looking depressed, when i was happy she would be all playfull. she was my best friend not just reading your emotions they can read your facial expressions, angry eyes, happy eyes ect. animals cats and dogs read your emotions and feel what your feeling.

Obviously I don't know the answer to this 100%, but from my experience of having pets throughout my life I believe they can read your emotions.

My dogs especially. They know when I'm happy and they become happy too. When I'm sad they know it. They come and sit next to me and want to cuddle me. If I turn my head, they try to get closer to me and actually try to get in my lap. If I'm crying, they genuinely get worried and anxious. They try to get my attention and let me know they are there.

Dogs are great like that. Cats... not as much emotion there.

Love them all though.
Danyel

Yes, cats and dogs are definitely very in tune to their owners emotions. They pay the most attention to their humans for one thing so I think they learn to read us the best. My birds definitely pick up on the mood in the room. I don't know that they are in tune with us like a dog or cat would be, but if I'm nervous, they get quiet.

I think that many animals can sense our emotions, and different animals just react to things differently. It is well-known that dogs, horses, and other animals will sense our fear, and act accordingly.
Cats, on the other hand, can be more subtle in showing their frustration with us sometimes.
We had a beautiful Persian cat that a friend gave us because the cat did not like either him or his girlfriend at all.
When he was at our house, and had stayed the night; he discovered that Byron had used his new tennis shoes as a place to do all of his little cat chores.
Since Byron always used the litter box and had never done that to anyone else who happened to be visiting one of my kids and spent the night; we were preyy sure that Byron was simply showing his dislike for Rodney by messing in his tennis shoes.