You might be reading your dog’s moods wrong

Many dog owners can tell how their precious pooch is feeling, watching it wag its tail or raise its ears — at least, they think they can.

But people’s perception of canine emotions may be strongly influenced by environmental context around the dog, researchers report March 10 in Anthrozoös.

Animal welfare scientist Holly Molinaro filmed her father interacting with his dog, Oliver, a 14-year-old pointer-beagle mix, in a variety of situations. She filmed the dog in positive ones, such as being played with or praised, and negative ones, such as being around a cat or reprimanded.

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