How does a dog thank you?

People have hundreds of ways to express gratitude. We hug each other, we smile, we say “Thank you”, we send thank-you cards, we send flowers… In general, there are innumerable ways to thank someone.

But what about dogs? How can they express gratitude? With a look of big intelligent eyes, a kiss or a wagging tail? And are dogs capable of feeling gratitude at all?

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Are dogs grateful?

You did something really nice for your dog, like going for a long walk in your favorite forest, or giving him a treat that he really appreciates. Of course she is happy. She loves walks, treats, and other great things you have to offer. But does she think at the same time: “Thank you very much”?

There is a possibility that this is true. The key to understanding gratitude is empathy. We cannot feel gratitude if we cannot put ourselves in the place of a person who has done us a favor or done something nice – after all, he sacrificed something for us. If there were no empathy and understanding of this victim on the part of another, we would simply experience joy from a gift or service (which, of course, is also wonderful), but not gratitude.

Scientists at the University of Vienna conducted a study, the results of which show that dogs perfectly understand and respond to human emotions, that is, they are characterized by empathy. The dogs were in the room in the company of the owners, who were reading a book or listening to music on headphones, completely ignoring the dog. But there were loudspeakers in the room that played the sounds of a dog’s “speech” – happy or sad (such as playful barking or whining), human sounds (such as laughter and crying), and neutral sounds (such as a waterfall or a non-expressive voice). specific emotions people’s speech).

And what turned out? Dogs reacted much more emotionally to the sound when it had an emotional connotation (and it doesn’t matter if these were sounds made by dogs or people). Moreover, dogs often froze when they heard sounds with a negative emotional connotation (for example, a dog whining or a human crying). That is, they perfectly understand the difference between the joy and distress of another being. This means that dogs are capable of empathy, which, as already mentioned, is the basis of gratitude.

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How can dogs be grateful?

Of course, dogs cannot say “Thank you” with words. But at the same time, they can express gratitude through body language. For example, when they wag their tail in a relaxed way, look at us with shining eyes and “smile”.

But is gratitude a property unique to dogs? Or is it found in other animals as well?

There is a possibility that some animals are capable of behavior that could be interpreted as gratitude. For example, there is a case in which two chimpanzees, who were released from their cage during a storm so that they could escape, did not immediately run away, but lingered to hug the person who opened the cage.

However, the gratitude that dogs express is most often related to some specific things. But can dogs feel gratitude for something global, for example, for the fact that you adopted them from a shelter or took a wild dog from the street? It is hardly worth counting on this, because the dog lives “here and now”, lives for today, and if she is afraid of changing conditions, one should not count on gratitude.

However, if you can provide such a dog with a comfortable life, build trusting relationships and bring joy every day, he will be grateful for each of them.

Of course, animal behavior remains to be explored, and we are likely to learn a lot of new and interesting things about how other living beings feel and how they express their emotions.