Have you ever suddenly felt sad and not been able to say why? Maybe it was while doing simple things that a hollow, sad feeling set in.
Maybe the minute you sensed that you were sad, you noticed your dog next to you by your side. Maybe he nudged your hand, rested his head on your lap, or looked at you with the most caring eyes.
So many dog owners can attest to that. It seems as if the dogs somehow just know we’re sad before we do. But have you ever wondered how they sense your sadness before you express or even know about it? Here we shall know about it!
The Special Bond
The connection between the dogs and their owner is really special. Most often, they aren’t just pets, but they truly are part of our family. They welcome us back at the door with so much joy after returning from the job. Somehow, they make a bad day brighter.
This deep connection is a way that understands us on an unspoken level. It is a friendship based on trust, love, and almost intuitive empathy that they can share with us about our feelings.
How Do Dogs Do That?
How come dogs always know we are sad, even before we fully realize it? It can’t be magic, although it sure feels like that!
Those clever humans have indeed investigated the subject. Several reasons make our dogs so capable of understanding how we feel under any circumstance.
1. They Read Our Body Language
The way we monitor the dog and understand its body language is in a similar way our bodies tell a story, even if we stay silent. Just a small change on our face would give away the fact that we were inclined to sorrow.
Dogs, of course, are very good at spotting these tiny little signs. They observe very intently how we move, stand, or even how our face looks.
They learn that different body movements signify different emotions. In time, they become like experts in silent body language, and they know well that a drooping facial expression usually means we are not feeling well.
2. They Smell Our Feelings
The dog might have seemed strange, but they have an incredible nose! Much, much better than ours. Due to possessing millions more scent parts than we have, they can distinguish tiny changes in the scent of our bodies. Strong feelings like sadness!
Our bodies silently release chemicals that we simply cannot smell. But these changes in our body chemistry can be easily detected by the dogs.
Hence, even before we realize it, a dog’s nose might detect a slight change in our scent that in turn reflects the change in our feelings. It is like they have a secret feeling-smelling tool right in their noses!
3. They Listen to Our Voices
Vocal sounds tell them stories. When being sad, people usually lower their voices, make them flat, or speak less.
Dogs have good hearing. They can distinguish an excited, joyful tone from a lower, sad voice. They also observe how little noise we make.
If we normally bark all day but suddenly fall quiet, dogs take note of that. They understand silence or a certain change in voice signifies that something is wrong.
4. Empathy
They are probably among the most loving things that dogs could do. Empathy is when you can understand and share the feelings of another person or animal.
They usually come up and try to console us if they sense we are grieving, almost as if they have made it their life mission to uplift humans in times of need.
Not that they had been taught to do this, but it seems to come from their heart.
Conclusion
The above was just a small detail on how dogs understand our sorrow and respond to it. Knowing how amazing your dog is at sensing your sadness would create a greater connection between both of you.
Pay close attention to what they do when you are feeling down. Thank them for their attempts to console you, whether through a small pat on the leg or silence.
Frankly, they are much more than simply good pets, and they are wise companions in many ways, enriching our lives.
