Dogs can tell if you're scared or sad
Dogs in MRI machines FTW Dogs can tell if you’re scared or sad fMRI scans show happiness, fear, anger, and sadness have distinct brain activity patterns in doggy brains. Jennifer Ouellette – Aug 10, 2026 11:00 am | 5 Credit: Laura V. Scientists have performed fMRI scans on dogs and identified a specific brain region that processes happy human facial expresses, like a smile, according to a new paper published in the journal iScience.
- ▪Dogs in MRI machines FTW Dogs can tell if you’re scared or sad fMRI scans show happiness, fear, anger, and sadness have distinct brain activity patterns in doggy brains.
- ▪Jennifer Ouellette – Aug 10, 2026 11:00 am | 5 Credit: Laura V.
- ▪Scientists have performed fMRI scans on dogs and identified a specific brain region that processes happy human facial expresses, like a smile, according to a new paper published in the journal iScience.
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| Original publisher | Ars Technica |
| Canonical URL | https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/08/dogs-can-tell-if-youre-scared-or-sad/ |
| Publication time | Mon, 10 Aug 2026 15:00:53 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-08-10T15:20:47.904Z |
| Last seen | 2026-08-10T15:20:47.904Z |
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| Summary | WeSearch · cerebras-chat (WeSearch summarizer) |
| Summary source text | contentText |
| Citation coverage | Summary is a WeSearch-generated derivative; primary citation is the original publisher URL. |
| Cluster | ZoG6DsdOOYLo · 1 stories |
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| Commercial reuse | May the content be reused commercially? | Not permitted |
Basis: Derived from the published RSS/Atom feed. Contact: [email protected]. Reviewed: 2026-07-24.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Dogs in MRI machines FTW Dogs can tell if you’re scared or sad fMRI scans show happiness, fear, anger, and sadness have distinct brain activity patterns in doggy brains. Jennifer Ouellette – Aug 10, 2026 11:00 am | 5 Credit: Laura V. Cuaya/CC BY-SA Credit: Laura V. Cuaya/CC BY-SA Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav Any dog owner would tell you that their canine companions are attuned to their humans’ emotional state and respond accordingly. Scientists have performed fMRI scans on dogs and identified a specific brain region that processes happy human facial expresses, like a smile, according to a new paper published in the journal iScience.
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