Study Shows Dogs are Born Ready to Communicate With People

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You probably already know that your dog loves you. In fact, it’s highly likely that the two of you have your own way of communicating with each other. Pet owners often feel like their pets understand them better than most people do, especially when the pet in question is a dog. After all, most of us have had those days where we feel like no matter how effectively we try to communicate, it just isn’t working. It’s comforting to come home after a long day of struggling to get your point across and then spend time with your best friend, someone who seems to understand your deepest thoughts and feelings, without the need for a single word. As it turns out, feeling that sense of togetherness and communication that exist without the spoken word may not be your imagination after all. In fact, research has shown that dogs are innately capable of communicating with human beings, even from the time that they are born.

Dogs Understand Us Better Than you Think

It’s true, dogs understand human beings better than most people think they do. In fact, research has indicated that puppies are more than capable of understanding what human beings are trying to tell them. As such, puppies that are only a few weeks old are capable of following hand gestures given to them by humans in order to find food. While it’s not uncommon for a young puppy who has undergone proper obedience training to understand complicated hand signals, the very idea that a puppy that is practically a newborn could understand these same types of things on a rudimentary level is astonishing. While there has been a great deal of research to show that this is indeed possible, researchers decided to take things a step further. They also had several control groups with puppies that were purposefully untrained. These same puppies proved just as capable of understanding what the humans were trying to tell them as the ones who had undergone some level of training. It seems that dogs are indeed hardwired to understand what we are trying to tell them from the very moment they are born.

The Genetic Component

The overwhelming majority of research has been conducted through the University of Arizona. These individuals have been involved with conducting these types of tests for years and throughout that time, they have discovered something quite interesting. Dogs seem to be genetically predisposed to communicate with human beings. In fact, many of their studies found that puppies that were as young as two months old were not only capable of following the aforementioned pointing gestures, but also understanding complex forms of cognitive behavior. In short, they have a tendency to be able to understand what human beings are trying to tell them more effectively than a lot of other human beings can. Have you ever tried to tell someone something repeatedly, only to feel like the individual you were speaking to just didn’t understand what you were actually trying to say? As it turns out, that person may not understand what you’re saying, but there is every chance that your dog knows exactly what you’re trying to convey. Granted, a lot of it can be derived through hand gestures, but that isn’t the only thing involved here. In fact, it’s far more complicated than that.

Eye Contact is Key

Any dog owner will tell you that there are those moments where their dog stops whatever she is doing and simply looks at them, often with a longing, loving look that conveys tons of emotion without ever speaking a single word. This was another thing that was studied by the researchers at the University of Arizona and they found out that even puppies are capable of communicating with human beings via eye contact. If you have ever caught your dog giving you a knowing look when you felt frustrated or overwhelmed, you weren’t imagining things. Your dog is hardwired to pick up on the emotions that you are feeling at any given time and then communicate with you in the most effective way possible, often through eye contact or touch.

Proof Positive

At the end of the day, all of this research proves what most dog owners already know. Their dogs have a tendency to understand the way they are feeling far better than most human beings ever could. In addition, dogs have a tendency to know what people are thinking about and how they feel about that particular subject. You don’t have to worry about finding words when it comes to communicating effectively with your dog. That communication is something that inherently exists from day one. It’s one of the things that makes owning a dog so rewarding. You have a companion that truly loves you in the most selfless way possible, who also understands you. The best part is that you can experience all of this without fumbling for words and trying to describe thoughts or feelings that are very difficult for you to categorize.

Who would have ever guessed that one of the most effective forms of communication would come along without ever having the need to speak a single word? It just goes to show you how special dogs really are. They have so much to offer and people are still learning about the different ways that they communicate with human beings. It might even lead you to believe that the dogs have been the communication experts all along and that we, as human beings, are woefully behind the curve. The next time you feel like no one understands you, spend some time with your dog. You can bet that he or she does indeed understand what you’re trying to say and more importantly, how you feel. This is especially true if you have a genuine connection with each other. Of course, this isn’t news to any person that has ever spent much time around dogs. They’ve always had a way of just knowing what is happening and knowing what to do in the moment. The research conducted by these scientists just proves what dog owners have known for years.