Dogs “smile”

Dogs do smile, but not necessarily for the same reasons that we do. According to veterinary scientist Dr John Bradshaw, a dog will smile to persuade its owner to show them affection. Therefore, dogs aren’t always happy when they’re “smiling”, they may even be feeling a bit anxious and in need of reassurance. So go on, show your pup some love.

Dogs aren’t always happy when they’re “smiling”, they may be feeling anxious.

Dogs can be pessimists or optimists

Just like people, dogs can have either an optimistic or a pessimistic view of the world. In scientific studies, certain dogs were always keen to investigate a place where there was a 50:50 chance of food, while other dogs were generally reluctant to take the chance. It would seem that some dogs hope for the best, while others expect the worst.

Dogs don’t feel guilt

Many owners identify what they think is a dog’s “guilty look”, but science has shown that this is actually a reaction to the owner’s body language at that moment. Guilt is a relatively complex emotion. The dog is simply worried that it’s about to be punished, without knowing what it’s done wrong.

If puppies don’t meet humans, they can go wild

If a dog doesn’t meet humans until it’s over three months old, it may remain wild for its whole life. The most extreme example of this is the Australian Dingo, which is a type of domestic dog that went wild around four thousand years ago.