Dogs have remarkable instincts, allowing them to assess human behavior and trustworthiness. Studies suggest that dogs can recognize deception and evaluate a person’s reliability based on past interactions. Research led by Akiko Takaoka at Kyoto University demonstrated that when a human misled dogs about the location of food,
the animals quickly lost trust and stopped following instructions. Additionally, experiments have shown that dogs observe their owners’ social interactions and react accordingly, accepting food from kind strangers while rejecting it from those who had been aggressive. Their ability to interpret facial expressions and vocal tones further supports their strong emotional intelligence, making them uniquely attuned to human emotions.