Do Dogs Have Empathy? Vet Approved Facts & FAQ

There have been various studies done to test whether dogs can feel empathy towards humans and even other animals. Dogs are complex creatures that can respond emotionally to certain situations which allows us to assume that dogs can feel some sort of empathy or a similar emotion.

However, do dogs truly experience empathy? This article has all the answers you need!

Can Dogs Feel Empathy?

In simple terms, yes, dogs can feel empathy, however, they do not experience the same depth of cognitive emotions as humans do. Empathy is one of the more complex human emotions and it is the ability to identify with another person and respond in a similar emotional manner. Most humans can feel empathetic towards another human being and it is believed that dogs can feel this way to a certain extent.

This is firmly believed by most dog lovers because dogs are one of the oldest domesticated species that have evolved alongside humans and observed our speech, mood, and emotions for thousands of years. This has also earned dogs the title of “man’s best friend”, so it is clear why many believe that dogs can feel empathy.

There are even instances where dogs display certain human behaviors in comparison to other species of animals, which is why dogs are sentimental beings and external factors can affect their emotions.

How Do Dogs Show Empathy to Humans?

As a dog owner, you may have experienced your dog trying to cheer you up when you had a bad day, or simply avoiding you if you are angry because they might think they have done something wrong. The type of empathy that dogs show to us is quite like their empathetic response to other dogs who are in distress. Dogs communicate differently than humans, so our observation of how we would perceive empathy in dogs varies from humans.

If you are crying, some dogs will try to show empathy to you by licking you or whining as they are probably trying to empathize with your feelings. Many dog owners feel a connection with their dog, and there are plenty of stories dog lovers have shared where their dog has found a way to comfort them when they are feeling down. There has even been evidence from a 2018 study on empathy in dogs that found when their owners made a distressing sound such as help or the sound of crying, the dogs would run to them faster than if their owner made a neutral sound.

To further prove that dogs can feel emotions like humans, you can observe your dog’s behavior when you come home after being out for a long time. Most dogs will wag their tails, bark, and jump in joy to have you back home!

Other examples are when a dog that you share a close bond with notices if you are sad or anxious because they can pick up on your mood and change in behavior, and some dogs will willingly comfort their owners and try to lick and rub against their owners.

Can Dogs Show Empathy to Each Other?

Dogs have their form of communication with each other, so it is difficult for us as humans to decipher exactly how dogs respond to each other when it comes to emotions.

Certified dog behaviorist and trainer, Russell Harstein, says, “I would argue that yes, dogs may have empathy for other dogs.” Most researchers in a study found that dogs showed much higher levels of stress when played negative auditory cues from dogs that they are familiar with.

However, dogs seem to react similarly to the sounds of all dogs in distress which proves that they do indeed have empathy towards each other. However, Harstein cautions that a dog’s ability to put itself in the experience of another dog to show true sympathy for the experience is not possible to measure.

What Emotions Can Dogs Feel?

Dogs can feel sad, joy, optimism, fear, anxiety, jealousy, and confusion much like other sentient beings. However, they just experience these emotions on a different level than humans do.

Some scientists believe dogs have the mental capacity of a two-year-old child, while some believe even older. A clinician in behavioral medicine and senior medical director of BluePearl Veterinary Partners’ Michigan hospitals, Dr. Jill Sackman states “Dogs probably have the level of cognition of a three to a five-year-old human child”. However, some veterinarians believe that dogs have evolved to have a more advanced emotional capacity.

Dogs are constantly reading and analyzing their human emotions so that they can navigate their feelings and reactions to your behavior in certain situations. A dog’s ability to feel complex emotions can be linked to its high intelligence. However, there are some emotions that researchers are not sure dogs feel, such as guilt.

This is mainly because some dogs could simply be anticipating a negative reaction from you and feel scared and sad about changes in your tone and behavior, such as shouting and punishing your dog for chewing on your furniture or doing something they shouldn’t. Does your dog feel sorry and guilty for what they did, or are they simply reacting to your behavior?

There is no doubt that dogs can feel a range of emotions that connect, such as trust and distrust, sadness and joy, and fear or excitement, and these emotions will come out depending on the situation your dog is put in both mentally and physically.

Conclusion

It is theorized that dogs can show empathy to humans and other dogs, but they may not react in the same way we do. The difference between a dog’s cognitive emotions and a human’s differ greatly, and some of the tests conducted by researchers have still not truly proven whether empathy is an absolute emotion dog can feel and show.

But for the most part, most dogs do not lack empathy and can portray several different methods that show they sympathize and even try to comfort those in distress.

• See also: Does My Dog Think Humans Are Dogs?

---

Featured Image Credit: Julia Zavalishina, Shutterstock