If you have a dog — or if you spend hours scrolling through puppy videos — you probably already know that some pups have a knack for comedy. When you meet an extra-silly dog who seems to live for the applause, you might wonder if they’re trying to make us laugh on purpose — or if they just can’t help but be adorable. It turns out, science has an answer. This week,a TikTok is going viral for sharing research that shows dogs do, in fact, try to make humans laugh.
The research: Dogs understand human emotions.
The TikTok is based on a paper called “Emotional communication between dogs and humansopens in a new tab,” which was published by Veronika Konok at the Eötvös Loránd University Faculty of Science in Budapest, Hungary in 2014. In it, Konok details many different studies that have shown that dogs understand human emotions and react accordingly (“Duh,” said every dog parent ever).
For example, dogs can distinguish between tones of voice. In one study, “they were slower to take a piece of food when commanded to leave it with an ‘angry voice,’ compared to a ‘happy voice.’” They are also more likely to choose food or retrieve objects that humans have shown positive emotional expressions toward, as opposed to things humans have shown negative emotional expressions toward. Konok concludes that dogs are very perceptive of human emotional states — a fact that’s pretty obvious to any dog parent whose pup snuggles closer to them during tear-y movie nights.
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Another study, “Voice-Sensitive Regions in the Dog and Human Brain Are Revealed by Comparative fMRIopens in a new tab” by Attila Andics, used an fMRI scanner to show how dogs’ brains respond to human noises. The study found that one area of the dogs’ brains showed more activity when hearing a positive human sound (such as laughter) than a negative human sound (such as crying).
Your dog is responding to your positivity.
The research doesn’t actually prove that dogs intentionally try to make humans laugh (that’s hard to prove without asking them!), but it shows that dogs show a stronger emotional response to positive human sounds than negative human sounds. So, for example, when you’re laughing at something they’re doing, they might react and make you laugh even harder.
And whether they’re doing it on purpose or not, it’s a fact that our pups are making us laugh all day, every day. Dog parents on TikTok are backing the findings up with some seriously adorable anecdotes. “My dog suffocates me with kisses, and then tried even harder when I start laughing. It makes so much sense now,” one user commented. Another commenter joked, “I’m raising a bunch of very expensive comedians.”
This trait actually makes dogs really good service animals.
Konok writes that research on dogs recognizing human emotions explains why they make exceptionalopens in a new tab therapy and service animals: “Dogs’ ability to develop a complex communication system with humans makes these animals particularly suitable to facilitate social interactions and communication in humans (Cirulli et al., 2011).”
She also notes that “emotions enhance memory. There is considerable evidence that events which induce positive or negative emotions are more easily remembered than those which are emotionally neutral” — which means that your pup’s strongest memories of you might be the ones when you’re laughing. Well, that pure fact just makes us want to...cry, actually. Yep, we’re crying.
FAQs
Your dog is responding to your positivity.
Do dogs try and make you laugh? ›
While it's not a slam dunk to say dogs are on a mission to make us giggle, the evidence points to them being more responsive and maybe even reveling in our laughter. Your dog's goofy antics that send you into fits of giggles are likely fueling their behavior, encouraging them to keep up the act.
Does my dog know what it means when I laugh? ›
Dogs have enough of a grasp of social cues to recognize that laughter is positive. They understand that laughter means play, and play is positive.
Do dogs wonder what we're saying? ›
They learned that dogs process language much like humans do. The left side of the brain processes word meaning while the right side interprets intonation. Dogs, like humans, integrate both sides of the brain to arrive at a clearer meaning.
Why does my dog go crazy when I laugh? ›
Laughter is often considered a universal sign of joy and happiness, but their owner's laughter can trigger fear and anxiety for some dogs. more at ease. laughter can startle them, making them feel threatened or anxious.
Do dogs actually smile at you? ›
Fact #1: Dogs Do Indeed Smile!
Dogs notice humans smile when happy, and they will often mirror our jovial facial expressions to appease us and indicate they are also happy. A dog will pull back their lips and lift their brows to smile, and they may even wag their tail to complete the gesture.
What do dogs think when you kiss them? ›
So while dogs do not understand what kisses really mean, they can eventually learn to realize they are positive messages. Signs your pooch may display include wagging their tail, looking alert, licking your hand or face, excited behavior and racing around.
Do dogs have a favorite person? ›
In short, dogs tend to have one or sometimes several favourite people in the household with whom they bind together more deeply. This choice is influenced by the personality of both, as well as aspects of positive association, quality time and physical contact.
Does my dog know I love him? ›
Yes, your dog knows how much you love him! Dogs and humans have a very special relationship, where dogs have hijacked the human oxytocin bonding pathway normally reserved for our babies. When you stare at your dog, both your oxytocin levels go up, the same as when you pet them and play with them.
What does my dog think when I smile at him? ›
And while they may not know the exact meaning of a smile, they respond favorably in acknowledgment of a positive emotion. Another recent study shows that dogs can understand the emotions behind an expression on a human face. They could differentiate between positive and negative emotions handily.
Do Dogs Like When You Talk to Them? Yes! Research published in Animal Cognition found that both puppies and adult dogs are attentive to the high-pitch voice we use with babies and the more even-toned language used with adults.
Why do dogs lick you? ›
Licking is a natural and instinctive behaviour to dogs. For them it's a way of grooming, bonding, and expressing themselves. Your dog may lick you to say they love you, to get your attention, to help soothe themselves if they're stressed, to show empathy or because you taste good to them!
Is it possible for a dog to laugh? ›
There is a lot of debate among animal behaviourists about this but most agree that no, dogs can't laugh. At least not in the sense that humans can laugh. However, dogs can make a sound that is similar to a laugh, which they typically do when they are playing. It's caused by a breathy panting that's forcefully exhaled.
Do dogs know we are laughing at them? ›
Dogs are very sensitive to the tone of your voice and so they will soon know if you are laughing at them. They will sense if this is an enjoyable moment. Dogs love to use the "play bow" in a comical situation and if you are relaxed and laughing, you may get a play bow response from your dog.
Why does my dog stare at me when I laugh? ›
They love us. Just as we humans gaze into the eyes of people we adore, dogs have “borrowed” the same sign of affection to communicate with their owners. New research shows that mutual gazing between us and our pets releases the same hormonal response present during mother and infant bonding between humans.
Do dogs try and talk to you? ›
Dogs are communicating with us, or attempting to, all the time. The trouble is dogs don't have the ability to talk, so they use body language and behavior to express their feelings. It's up to humans to pay attention and listen.
Why does my dog get in my face when I laugh? ›
While dogs might not understand jokes or sarcasm like humans do, research shows that dogs can sense human emotions through facial expressions, smell, and sound. If you're laughing or crying, dogs can often tell. So, while they may not laugh at our jokes, dogs can recognize our happiness and humor.
Do dogs like human laughter? ›
Chemistry Between People and Dogs Is Real (It's Science)
The study found that one area of the dogs' brains showed more activity when hearing a positive human sound (such as laughter) than a negative human sound (such as crying).
Why do dogs make you smile? ›
Research has shown that pets can increase our levels of dopamine and serotonin, and when dogs and humans interact, both parties experience a surge of oxytocin, a hormone which makes us feel good.
