Can pets read human emotions?

I am not sure every pet can read our emotions and thoughts. My family used to have a Great Dane. We had him from the time he was a puppy up until last year. He was a dog that we treated like another family member. He could tell when one of us was sad or upset. He would come up and try to lick our faces. When i was pregnant, he would lay right next to me in the bed while I was having false contractions or just feeling emotional. His presence was so calming. I felt like this dog's soul was one with us. Last summer, when my daughter was walking him, he was struck and killed by a speeding car. We felt the impact in the house. It was literally like a piece of us has been lost since.