They’re often referred to as ‘man’s best friend’, but if you have a dog, do you really know how it’s feeling?
According to a new study, the answer will likely depend on the shape of their face.
Researchers from the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague say that flat-faced dogs including Pugs, Boston Terriers, and French Bulldogs are harder to read than dogs with ‘normal’ heads.
‘Flat-face dogs are often seen as cute, appealing and almost comedically expressive, with their large eyes and short noses,’ said the study’s lead author, Petra Eretová.
‘But contrary to the stereotype, it is actually harder to read the facial expressions of flat-face dogs, compared to normal dogs.’
Can you tell how these dogs are feeling? Scroll down to find out which facial expressions they’re really showing
Flat-faced – or brachycephalic – dogs’ short-faced characteristics did not evolve naturally and are instead the result of selective breeding.
Previous studies have shown that this facial structure puts them at high risk for a range of health conditions, including issues with breathing, difficulty giving birth, and excessive skin folds.
Despite these problems, French Bulldogs, English Bulldogs and Pugs are all hugely popular pets.
Experts have previously claimed that this is due to their expressive, infant-like features, which humans are drawn to.
In their new study, the team set out to test whether this is really the case.
The researchers enlisted 350 participants, who were shown photos and videos of dogs in different contexts.
Previous studies have shown that pugs’ short facial structure puts them at high risk for a range of health conditions
In total, the behaviours of 23 dogs across two breeds were recorded.
Boston Terriers were selected to represent the flat-faced dogs, while Jack Russell Terriers represented ‘normal’ breeds.
The dogs were recorded during four situations – being called by their name, play, separation, and being threatened by a stranger.
The participants were then shown footage or photos of the situations, and asked which of the four they thought the dogs were in.
The results revealed that participants were better at reading the facial expression of Boston Terriers in the two positive scenarios (being called by their name and play).
However, they struggled to recognise their expressions in the two negative situations (separation and being threatened by a stranger).
‘We found that Boston Terriers were often misunderstood when expressing negative emotions,’ Dr Eretova said.
‘People were in fact more likely to assume the dog was happy, even when it was scared or anxious.’
The researchers recognise that one of the main limitations of the study was only using two dog breeds.
So, did you get them right? The dogs were recorded during four situations – being called by their name, play, separation, and being threatened by a stranger
‘Another avenue to explore would be people’s perception of inner states in dogs of differing skull lengths, which will be presented in an upcoming study,’ they wrote in their study, published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science.
The new study comes shortly after figures revealed that flat-faced dogs have declined in popularity in the UK.
Overall, The Kennel Club says that there was a 17 per cent decline in registrations of all dogs in the UK last year.
However, registrations of flat-faced breeds fell by more than a third.
There were 42 per cent fewer registration of Pugs, 39 per cent fewer of English Bulldogs, and 34 per cent fewer of French Bulldogs.
According to The Kennel Club, this is the biggest fall in popularity for these breeds in over a decade in Britain.
‘The drop in puppy registrations for these flat-faced breeds is a welcome step in the right direction, although these should be seen with some caution,’ said Dan O’Neill, Chair of The Brachycephalic Working Group (BWG).
‘We hope this is a sign that more and more puppy buyers, owners and breeders are considering the serious health and welfare implications for flat-faced dogs.
‘This is particularly important if these dogs are bought on an impulse because they “look cute” but without proper understanding of their potential health issues or how indiscriminate breeding to meet demand results in poor welfare.’
