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can dogs really tell when you're sad the
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short answer yes but here's where it
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gets controversial are they comforting
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you out of love or is it just Instinct
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if you think your dog has emotional
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superpowers you're not wrong science
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backs it up but I hate to break it to
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you the reasons behind their behavior
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might not be as heartwarming as you
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think let's start with the science dogs
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have an extraordinary ability to read
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human emotions a study from learning and
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behavior showed that dogs could differ
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differentiate between happy and sad
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human faces and even acted differently
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based on those emotions but here's the
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kicker some researchers believe that
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this isn't entirely about love it's
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about survival in the wild dogs needed
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to stay in tune with their pack to keep
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Harmony and avoid danger so when your
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dog picks up on your sadness they might
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just be trying to restore balance not
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necessarily playing therapist one of
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their biggest Tools in emotional
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detection their nose dogs have a sense
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of smell it's up to 100,000 times more
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powerful than ours when you're sad or
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stressed your body releases hormones
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like cortisol Studies have shown that
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dogs can actually sniff out those
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hormonal changes so if you've ever
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wondered why your dog is extra clingy
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after a bad day it's not magic it's
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biology they're thinking hm my human
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smells off today better investigate but
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it's not just about their noses dogs are
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wired to pay attention to your body
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language and tone of voice even subtle
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changes like slouching a little more or
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using a softer tone send them signals
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and let's be honest they probably notice
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these changes before you do if your dog
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leans against you nudges your hand or
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plops down beside you when you're sad
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they're reacting to those cues it's
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their way of saying I see something's up
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and I'm here here's where it gets
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interesting dogs don't just sense your
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sadness they can mirror it a study from
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Royal Society open science found that
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dogs are capable of emotional contagion
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meaning they can feel and reflect your
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emotions ever let out a deep dramatic
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sigh and noticed your dog doing the same
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or cried only to have your pup lick your
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tears they're not just copying you
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they're trying to help but some experts
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argue this might be less about empathy
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and more about instinctively trying to
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calm the environment it's sweet but also
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kind of pragmatic dogs also pick up on
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your routines or lack thereof when
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you're feeling low if you normally
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bounce around the house but suddenly
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spend hours on the couch binge watching
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sad movies your dog notices that's why
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they might drop a toy at your feet or
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nudge you off the couch like hey enough
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of this let's go outside you'll feel
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better it's part loyalty part emotional
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coaching and maybe a little selfish they
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want their human back to normal for
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their sake too I'll never forget a
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moment with my dog Luna when I was in a
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really bad place I was sitting on the
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floor crying and she was across the room
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chewing on a toy suddenly she stopped
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walked over and leaned her whole body
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against me she didn't bark or lick just
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sighed deeply like she was saying it's
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okay I'm here we've got this was it pure
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love or just her Instinct kicking in
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honestly I don't care it worked but
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here's the controversial take are dogs
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really comforting us or are they just
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trying to stop the bad vibes for their
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own peace of mind after all they're pack
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animals who thrive on stability some
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researchers suggest that when your dog
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comforts you it's less about love and
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more about maintaining a sense of calm
