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PETS | Behaviour and training
http://www.petsmagazine.com.au
scientifi c equipment, how can we tell if our pets
love us? Luckily, there are a few easy ways.IT’S ALL ABOUT BODY LANGUAGE
While dogs don’t use words, they speak to
us using body language. It’s a good idea to
familiarise yourself with your dog’s body
language because it will tell you a lot about
how she is feeling. Dogs can communicate
excitement, stress, anxiety and even love using
their faces, their tongues and their waggly tails.
A dog’s face, particularly its eyebrows, is
surprisingly expressive, as animal behaviour
experts from Azuba University in Japan found
in 2013. Using a high-speed video camera,
researchers recorded 12 dogs’ facial reactions
as they were presented with diff erent stimuli.
When shown a stranger, the dogs’ left ears
moved back slightly but when reunited
with their owner, the dogs wiggled their left
eyebrows. One explanation for this eyebrow
movement is that the dogs may be attempting
to look more intently at their owners, which
refl ects a strong attachment.
Dogs also show aff ection towards humansWe have a very special place in our hearts for
our pets. If you were to ask any owner if their
pet loves them, the answer would surely be
a resounding “YES”. Pet owners don’t really
need proof that this love exists because it’s
an unmistakable feeling — it’s something we
just know. But over the last decade, science
has given unparalleled insight into the
physiology and psychology of companion
animals such as dogs and cats. The results
overwhelmingly support the long-held
belief of mutual love between species.
Not everyone has an MRI machine or a
laboratory set up at home, so without all thisThe language of love
isn’t just a human thing.
Our pets are well-versed
in it, too, as Kristie
Bradfi eld discovers.Does your cat look at you
with love in his eyes?scientifi c eDoes my pet Does my pet
love me t ?love me t
?