Puppy dog eyes are known to be so adorable that whoever makes ‘puppy dog eyes’ can entrance and elicit compassion from anybody who sees them. Puppy dog eyes are said to be so cute (child-like) and irresistible that the person who makes ‘puppy dog eyes’ can usually get whatever they want. But is this really true? And can dogs themselves make the ‘puppy dog eyes’?
Research from the University of Portsmouth found that dogs that make their eyes appear larger also known as make the ‘puppy dog eyes’, are chosen by prospective owners more quickly than other dogs. The study suggests that dogs have evolved in response to the human preference for cute or child-like faces.
At the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition, researchers used a newly developed tool called DogFACS to analyze dogs’ facial expressions. Using this tool, the muscle movement 27 dogs were studied when a person came and stood in front of their pen. And as expected, whenever the muscles of the dogs moved in such a way as to make their eyes larger (like an infants’) they would attract an owner quicker. The study focused on Staffordshire Bull Terriers and Mastiff dogs aged seven to eight years old, all needing a new home.
The results of this research suggest that wolves which produced childlike expressions may have been more tolerated by humans (since childlike expressions gave the impression that the wolves were not aggressive and dangerous), and so modern dogs have inherited these features’, said Dr. Bridget Waller, an expert in the evolution of social communication at the University of Portsmouth.
Blogpost by: Elaine Lee Ramos
References:
Sarah Griffiths. Puppy Dog EYES do exist: Canines have evolved to suit OUR preference for hang-dog faces. Last Updated: January 7, 2014 Retrieved from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2534614/Puppy-dog-EYES-exist-Baby-faced-dogs-larger-eyes-homed-faster.html [Accessed on January 11, 2014]
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