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Yes, You Can Tell From His Face What Your Dog Is Feeling
PopSci ^ | 3-18-2013 | Rebecca Boyle

Posted on 03/19/2013 4:05:39 PM PDT by Sir Napsalot

Mal, In Various States of Concern

People can reliably read a dog’s facial expressions, suggesting humans are finely tuned to detect emotions even in other creatures. Behavioral scientists have long known that people can accurately read other humans’ emotions, but this study suggests our empathy extends to other members of the animal kingdom.

While a Ph.D student at Walden University in Florida, Tina Bloom worked with Harris Friedman and a dog named Mal at the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. Mal, a 5-year-old Belgian shepherd and trained police dog, was subjected to a variety of stimuli, and the researchers took pictures of his reactions.

For instance, in one experiment the researchers praised him, trying to elicit a happy reaction; Mal looked at the camera with his ears erect and tongue lolling. Then they reprimanded him, and Mal’s ears flattened, he looked down and his eyes became mournful. They used a jack-in-the-box to surprise him; foul-tasting medicine to disgust him; nail trimmers to strike fear into his heart; and so on. One of the researchers even pretended to be a criminal, and Mal got angry. Then the team showed 50 volunteers photographs of these reactions, and asked them to categorize his emotions.....

(Excerpt) Read more at popsci.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Pets/Animals
KEYWORDS: dogs
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To: andy58-in-nh; afraidfortherepublic

I firmly believe that they are all waiting at the Rainbow Bridge for us to join them again. I can’t even read about the Rainbow Bridge without crying.


61 posted on 03/19/2013 6:27:49 PM PDT by TheOldLady
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To: trisham

Love that old gray face dog! I’ve had a lot of dogs over the years, mostly large breeds, they all lived long lives. The longest was a cocker I got from the Humane Society and she made it to 19 1/2. Each one is special. Nice pic!


62 posted on 03/19/2013 6:33:13 PM PDT by JouleZ (You are the company you keep.)
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To: Geronimo
Good news-- I have it on good authority there will be no more snow for the rest of this Winter.

On a related note, Spring begins tomorrow...
63 posted on 03/19/2013 6:52:30 PM PDT by green pastures (Cynicism-- it's not just for breakfast anymore...)
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To: cripplecreek

Meant to tell you, those two of your babies looked real happy.


64 posted on 03/19/2013 6:59:18 PM PDT by Sir Napsalot (Pravda + Useful Idiots = CCCP; JournOList + Useful Idiots = DopeyChangey!)
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To: Pride in the USA
Cheese Please photo CheesePlease.jpg
If you would just let me have one little bite of cheese...

Looking Up photo LookingUp.jpg
I promise I would love you forever

65 posted on 03/19/2013 7:12:39 PM PDT by lonevoice (Today I broke my personal record for most consecutive days lived)
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To: JouleZ

Thank you. He was my best boy, and I miss him so much.


66 posted on 03/19/2013 7:13:15 PM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: Sir Napsalot

67 posted on 03/19/2013 7:14:14 PM PDT by Disambiguator
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To: Pride in the USA
 photo 60fbe007.jpg
68 posted on 03/19/2013 7:16:10 PM PDT by lonevoice (Today I broke my personal record for most consecutive days lived)
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To: andy58-in-nh

I had to put my two old Belgian Malinois to sleep, so I could move my beloved husband to a senior living facility that would let me be his sole caregiver until the end of his days.

They made his death easy, with me always by his side, calling in hospice when it was time.

I dream of him every night, and Hanna and Shadow are in every dream, alive, getting into Malinois mischief, and I miss them all so much. I adopted a little Havanese, who is a hoot.

But, I miss my Hanna and Shadow so much. They comfort me so much in my dreams that I do not want to wake up in the morning. Maybe if I keep on dozing, I will have another dream of them, running, happy, always coming when I call.

Hubby and I were married for 45 years, and it is hard to say which of the three I miss the most.

I’ll take all of them, Alex.


69 posted on 03/19/2013 8:18:56 PM PDT by jacquej
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To: lonevoice
Image Hosted by ImageShack.us
70 posted on 03/19/2013 8:21:09 PM PDT by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
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To: shibumi

Bubby said to post this.

http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/dog.html?id=819064


71 posted on 03/19/2013 8:57:39 PM PDT by Salamander (We're all kinds of animals comin' round here...occasional demons, too.)
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To: shibumi
*Reading* the dog, is not so subtle. I think Winchester is still very much a juvie.


72 posted on 03/19/2013 9:31:36 PM PDT by Daffynition (The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted. — D.H.)
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To: Daffynition
Now that is a fantastic photograph!
73 posted on 03/19/2013 10:04:44 PM PDT by lonevoice (Today I broke my personal record for most consecutive days lived)
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To: aomagrat

The sweet, beautiful face of a senior dog...


74 posted on 03/19/2013 11:01:56 PM PDT by green pastures (Cynicism-- it's not just for breakfast anymore...)
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To: andy58-in-nh
Know the feeling all too well FRiend.No doubt Oliver had a wonderfull life and yes I to believe you will see him again.

2 Samuel 12:3 "But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter"....no doubt God is well aquainted with our feelings towards certain animals.King David,a man after God's own heart,felt that the one who had seperated this man from the creature he loved as a daughter was worthy of death!....so yes I think it very possible that we will see our beloved friends again and boy oh boy what a day that will be! I expect it will take me some effort to get up from under the pile of dogs that will greet me on that day.

Take heart,Almighty God will make all things 'right'.

75 posted on 03/19/2013 11:16:05 PM PDT by mitch5501 ("make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things ye shall never fall")
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To: afraidfortherepublic

“...and I’m still finding dog hair around the house and the office. ...”

Once in awhile I still come across one of Zoe’s very distinctive hairs (one end straight and the root end having stair-stepped squiggles).

I call them her little love notes.


76 posted on 03/19/2013 11:44:23 PM PDT by green pastures (Cynicism-- it's not just for breakfast anymore...)
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To: NYer

ping (”may be of interest” ping)


77 posted on 03/19/2013 11:48:43 PM PDT by green pastures (Cynicism-- it's not just for breakfast anymore...)
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To: green pastures

Thanks for the ping! Will pass it along to my daughter who has a Great Dane.


78 posted on 03/20/2013 3:01:28 AM PDT by NYer (Beware the man of a single book - St. Thomas Aquinas)
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To: Sir Napsalot

It’s true! Between facial expression and body language it’s very, very easy to understand what’s on your cat’s mind.

Getting a crash course in Dog as of late...neighbor’s pit-lab puppy has been coming over to visit a lot once he figured out all he has to do is show up and be fussed over. Cute as can be and he wags so hard his whole hind end wiggles.


79 posted on 03/20/2013 3:38:31 AM PDT by Fire_on_High (RIP City of Heroes and Paragon Studios, victim of the Obamaconomy.)
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To: Geronimo
Just got news that he destroyed my Timberland boots this afternoon from Mrs Geronimo.

I would thing that a few drops of pure capsaicin, rubbed into the leather, would fix the tendency.


80 posted on 03/20/2013 4:06:24 AM PDT by PapaBear3625 (You don't notice it's a police state until the police come for you.)
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