Researchers Found That One Type Of Dog Is Especially Judgmental Of Owners Who Make Mistakes Or ‘Act Weird’
The side eye is very real.
Sebastian Comen Travel / Pexels Dog owners know that the connection they share with their precious pets is unparalleled. Dogs can sense our emotions. They read what we're feeling and respond accordingly, like offering extra cuddles when we’re sad.
It turns out that dogs pay much closer attention to human behavior than previously thought, and they even know when we’ve done something wrong.
Researchers learned that one type of dog is more judgmental when their owners make mistakes or ‘act weird.’
A Japanese study published in the journal “Behavioural Processes” in 2022 discovered that dogs can identify different levels of competencies in humans, which influences the pups' reactions and behaviors.
All dogs are sensitive to how humans act, yet the study found that female dogs are particularly in tune to human behavior.
The study’s results were based on an experiment designed to tell if dogs judge human competence. During the experiment, dogs watched two people open a transparent container with an object inside. One person removed the lid of the container successfully, while the other did not.
Next, one experimenter completed a task that’s important to dogs everywhere: opening a container full of food. The other experimenter’s container was empty. Both people opened their containers at the same time.
The dogs watching the experimenter who had food looked at the competent person for a longer period of time compared to the incompetent one, signaling that they understood that one person was more capable than the other.
42 North / Pexels
The dogs assigned to the person with an empty container showed no preferences between competence levels, which could show just how food-motivated our canine companions really are.
Female dogs were more likely to approach the person who completed the task correctly, choosing to ignore the person who couldn’t open the container.
The researchers believe these results showcase that female dogs have a keener sense of social evaluation compared to male dogs.
Girl dogs are highly aware of our mistakes, and they judge us when we do something wrong.
The act of making value judgments based on watching someone’s actions is called social evaluation or social eavesdropping.
As humans, we use social eavesdropping all the time. It helps us determine between people who are generous and those who are more self-involved. We use social eavesdropping as a way to inform our decisions, like who to choose as a romantic partner or how to make friends in new social situations.
It turns out that dogs are experts at social eavesdropping, too. They’re watching us, even when we think they’re too busy chewing or scratching or taking their requisite sniffy walk through the neighborhood to know what we’re doing.
Steshka Willems / Pexels
Because dogs have been living with humans for thousands of years, they’re extra attuned to us. They read our behavior and respond. They tell us what they’re thinking without saying anything at all, and that's what makes our relationship with our dogs so special.
So, when your sweet girl pup gives you the side eye, it’s entirely possible that she’s judging you. But don’t worry; she still loves you unconditionally, especially if you open her food container on the first try.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers social issues, pop culture, and all things to do with the entertainment industry.