Manipulative bastard, your name is C̸a̸t̸ Dog

October 19, 2017 11:25 AM

Dogs really do turn on the puppy eyes when humans look at them, according to researchers studying canine facial expressions. Scientists have discovered that dogs produce more facial movements when a human is paying attention to them – including raising their eyebrows, making their eyes appear bigger – than when they are being ignored or presented with a tasty morsel (study).

The research joins a number of studies probing the extraordinary relationship between humans and their canine companions, including work suggesting dogs understand both the words and the tone of human speech.

posted by Johnny Wallflower (19 comments total)

“I think this adds to a growing body of evidence that dogs are sensitive to our attention,” said Juliane Kaminski, another author of the study, also from the University of Portsmouth.

uh, no shit?

“Which is not necessarily something that a dog owner would be surprised about.”

ah.
posted by phunniemee at 11:28 AM on October 19, 2017 [3 favorites]

Looking forward to the "Cats really do view humans with quizzical disdain" research.
posted by Sangermaine at 11:45 AM on October 19, 2017 [17 favorites]

Yea, the cat will cut you just because it is Thursday (or Friday, or Saturday, ...)
posted by twidget at 11:57 AM on October 19, 2017 [2 favorites]

Looking forward to the "Cats really do view humans with quizzical disdain" research.

I'm constantly baffled by this sort of attitude. Where are y'all getting your cats from, and how are you treating them?
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:18 PM on October 19, 2017 [15 favorites]

I was once treated as a vertical surface of which to climb and defy gravity by my tortoiseshell kitten, who was fond of scaling our screen door. And we hadn't watched Totoro around her as far as I can recall (plus I don't remotely resemble a large, rotund, furry, gray Totoro), so I can only attribute that behavior to her treating me as a mere object.

At least now I'm an object to dispense food, water, and many types of scratching, and not something to climb.

My dog, on the other hand, thinks a Dobby-like expression will make me change my mind on my decision to not feed her the food I was about to feed myself (photographic evidence forthcoming - seriously, there's something in the way she holds her ears that reminds me of Dobby the house elf).
posted by filthy light thief at 12:25 PM on October 19, 2017

our cats treat us like food-dispensing heated furniture that they love very very much
posted by supermedusa at 12:27 PM on October 19, 2017 [3 favorites]

tell me that isn't love?
posted by supermedusa at 12:31 PM on October 19, 2017 [2 favorites]

“I think this adds to a growing body of evidence that dogs are sensitive to our attention,” said Juliane Kaminski, another author of the study, also from the University of Portsmouth.

There's more to than just treat and snug getting though. If you've ever worked with a hunting dog, it's a cooperative effort - and without an ability and a willingness on the part of the dog to understand, an effort that is bound to, well, not succeed as often if not outright fail.

The best dogs work as an extension of your own body - and this is why training is almost as much training the trainer as the dog. Hunting with dogs is truly an amazing experience, and it's a tradition that predates civilization itself. It's little wonder that dogs got good at reading humans - what's crazy to consider is that we may not have survived without it.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 12:33 PM on October 19, 2017 [10 favorites]

Cats know what you're saying but don't care according to Science. :).
posted by elmay at 12:41 PM on October 19, 2017

I'm constantly baffled by this sort of attitude. Where are y'all getting your cats from, and how are you treating them?

Bodega cat judged me hard for buying cheez-its. Dogs are far more accepting.
posted by betweenthebars at 1:12 PM on October 19, 2017 [3 favorites]

This is the Mexican street dog who adopted our son and his wife. Who can resist that face?
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 1:24 PM on October 19, 2017 [7 favorites]

That dog looks like Benedict Cumberbatch.
posted by praemunire at 1:28 PM on October 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

Yeah, next time I am saving the pupper links for after the epic 45 threads.
posted by Space Kitty at 1:41 PM on October 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

But in his heart he knows that sometimes a dog is as good as any man
posted by mikelieman at 2:16 PM on October 19, 2017

When we go to the dog park my one female dog goes from person to person begging for treats. Puppy dog eyes are for amateurs, she goes full Baby Seal. I barely recognize her, she looks so wide eyed and adorable. The best part is the side eye she gives other dogs who are also angling for the best begging position when she thinks no one is looking. Starving Baby Seal to the fuck you think you're at? and back in milliseconds.

Her best look though, is reserved for the baristas at the drive thru coffee stand. They get the Blue Steel. Her ears practically touch in the middle, they're so alert.
posted by fshgrl at 2:22 PM on October 19, 2017 [10 favorites]

I wouldn't care if dogs put spiders in my ears at night and rubbed their buttholes on all my soap, I still think they are the best thing that ever happened on the earth.
posted by turbid dahlia at 2:45 PM on October 19, 2017 [13 favorites]

I wouldn't care if dogs put spiders in my ears at night and rubbed their buttholes on all my soap, I still think they are the best thing that ever happened on the earth.

Please note that this was posted from Australia, land of nightmare spiders. I'm not so sure about the buttholes.

(Oh! The Good Place is on tonight!)
posted by maudlin at 3:37 PM on October 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

Dog eyebrows alone justify the entire existence of the dog. As does the quizzical head-cocking thing. As does puppy breath oh god there's literally nothing not great about them I have such a good boy at home yes he is a good boy yes he is the best pooper dog yes he is.
posted by middleclasstool at 5:40 AM on October 20, 2017 [2 favorites]

I thought it was cats that carried brain parasites but I now I am wondering..
posted by Nerd of the North at 3:35 PM on October 20, 2017 [1 favorite]