 Do Dogs Recognize Facial Expressions?
#123335 - 01/04/2007 09:20 AM |
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OK, I know you guys have skill way beyond my dumb question here but I am just too curious about this so I'll risk the embarrassment...I've been wondering if my dog recognizes when I'm smiling at him. I know they know when your tone is good, bad, whatever, but what about facial expressions? Deciphering a scowl may be pushing it but do you think they can comprehend that if you're smiling at them, their particular behavior at that exact moment in time is a good behavior?
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 Re: Do Dogs Recognize Facial Expressions?
[Re: Judy Troiano ]
#123340 - 01/04/2007 09:57 AM |
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Hey Jude, (I feel a song coming here :-) )
At a guess I'd say yes, under the guise of body language/posture and also your dog just KNOWS when your happy and when your not (at least mine did).
I think I read somewhere that dogs can tell when your happy or sad as the chemicals/pheramones? (spelling) released by us are recognisable to the dog.
So I dont see why they couldn't recognise a facial expression to be a good thing when associated with your positive behaviour.
Of course I'm probably talking complete nonsense here so please someone shut me up :-)
John
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Re: Do Dogs Recognize Facial Expressions?
[Re: John Aiton ]
#123341 - 01/04/2007 10:02 AM |
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One of my past GSD females was so sensitive I could just say her name in a neutral tone and frown and she would roll over on her tummy.
Dogs base their entire communication on body language and sounds so they definitely notice posture, facial expression, tone of voice, and body language we don't even know we are doing.
Of course with a smile my dogs wag their tails, lower their ears and come for a pet. I always nod and use a big smile to let my dog know she did a good job and sometimes it's all she needs for praise if we are at home doing obedience.
Top Paw Training: serving Canyon Lake & New Braunfels, San Antonio to Austin. |
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Re: Do Dogs Recognize Facial Expressions?
[Re: Judy Troiano ]
#123342 - 01/04/2007 10:05 AM |
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Just try smiling at them with an open mouth; then start gentle panting like they do and watch what happens. You will have 80+ pounds in your lap in no time! A cold, direct stare will, of course, have the opposite effect - you may have 80+ pounds at your throat. IMO, they definitely can recognize your facial expressions, at least from a close proximity.
I don't, however, feel that a smile can take the place of a reward. High-pitched, happy voice? - yes; smile? - no.
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Re: Do Dogs Recognize Facial Expressions?
[Re: Jan Williamson ]
#123352 - 01/04/2007 10:44 AM |
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My dogs do react to facial expressions. My female will look at me & do certain obedience commands with the move of my eyes. If I look at her & blink a certain way she will sit. If I drop my eyes down while looking at her she will platz. If I lift my eyes up she will rise from a sit or platz position. If I give her a hard eye stare with a wide eye look, she knows that I disapprove of what she is doing at that moment. If I look at either of them & smile both she & even my 4 1/2 mo old pup will come over to me for some kind of contact...a pet a scratch etc. So yes, I believe that dogs can & do read facial expressions as well as body language. But it is possible that instead of the actual facial expressions we are unknowingly exhibiting some kind of body language that we are not aware of & they are reading that & not the facial expressions. I guess that we may never know for sure.
MY DOGS...MY RULES
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Re: Do Dogs Recognize Facial Expressions?
[Re: Anne Jones ]
#123354 - 01/04/2007 10:51 AM |
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I don't, however, feel that a smile can take the place of a reward. High-pitched, happy voice? - yes; smile? - no.
A smile can be reinforcing to a soft, submissive, nervy dog like I was mentioning. The same way a frown can be an aversive. Alone, either send a message, but not enough to affect the behavior of most dogs. I don't recommend expecting your dog to work for a facial expression as reinforcement though, but on a finished dog & a close, bonded relationship is formed, smiles can be praise in certain circumstances.
One of the things I practice with a dog in training as a proofing exercise is to ignore facial expression as part of the cue, command, or prompt. I try to be inconsistent is every way except the actual command. This seems to improve obedience when the dog is able to identify the command as a single motion or verbal cue rather than a group of things that must happen. Of course so many things we do are subconscious so sometimes dogs inadvertently learn several cues for one behavior.
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Re: Do Dogs Recognize Facial Expressions?
[Re: Alison Mayo ]
#123368 - 01/04/2007 11:59 AM |
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I think what the smile does is relax our whole body. A genuine smile travels through you. Even a forced smile can interfere with the tension in the rest of your body. If the dog doesn't pick up on the smile itself - and some probably do -- I think he will pick up on the change in your body posture or voice. Conversely, it's really hard to sound happy and upbeat when you're scowling or tense. I've found an instant relaxer for many people, when nothing else works, is to order them to "Smile, dammit!" Almost always breaks their tension. Not recommended for parish priests, though.
Parek |
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Re: Do Dogs Recognize Facial Expressions?
[Re: Jan Williamson ]
#123374 - 01/04/2007 12:25 PM |
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Re: Do Dogs Recognize Facial Expressions?
[Re: Jan Williamson ]
#123383 - 01/04/2007 01:16 PM |
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A smile & a quiet "good boy" are sometimes the best reward, especially with a high energy dog. An example, if I become over animated with my dog, that just drives him over the top & out of his cotton picking little mind! Dogs read us so much better than we read them, a little praise sometimes goes a long way.
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Re: Do Dogs Recognize Facial Expressions?
[Re: susan tuck ]
#123395 - 01/04/2007 01:54 PM |
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Jan, I agree with what you and I only use a smile for finished behaviors that could be maintained on a smile alone. I hope I didn't send the message that smiling is a motivator in the learning phase of training. It only takes a few repitions to figure out that ain't gonna work! lol 
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