Human Blinking Sparks Higher Blink Rates in Dogs, Study Shows

A Blink Can Say Something

According to НВ — Техно: Researchers at the University of Parma in Italy wanted to know whether dogs react to human blinking, so they ran an experiment with 35 dogs. The animals were shown two 40-second videos: one in which people blinked, and one in which they did not. The result? Dogs blinked more frequently when watching the blinking clips, and the effect was strongest when the person on screen was their owner. In fact, the highest blink rates occurred while the dogs watched video of their female owner.

This line of research offers another window into how dogs and humans communicate through subtle body language.

How the Researchers Tested the Dogs

The setup gave each dog two videos featuring three people: the dog's owner, plus unfamiliar men and women. In the first video, the people blinked once every three seconds. In the control video, the same people simply stared straight ahead without blinking. To analyze the dogs' reactions, the researchers used specialized software to perform a frame-by-frame analysis of the dogs' facial expressions.

During the video with blinking, the dogs' blink rate rose noticeably, especially when they were looking at their owners. During the video without blinking, their blink rate dropped significantly. There was also no spike in blinking within the first 1.5 seconds after a person blinked.

Earlier observations have shown that animals tend to blink more while interacting with their owners or while watching videos of other dogs. The new findings strengthen the idea that blinking may be an important signal in communication between dogs and people.

The scientists hope their work will shed more light on nonverbal communication between dogs and humans and open up fresh opportunities for studying animal behavior. A better grasp of these signals could also improve how owners interact with, train, and care for their pets. The study highlights how much silent communication happens between species, and it may become a stepping stone for future research in animal behavior.

These findings complement previous research that highlights the emotional depth of canine behavior. For instance, a recent study provides direct evidence that dogs can differentiate between human emotions, such as fear, anger, and sadness. Together, these studies emphasize the intricate ways in which dogs and humans communicate nonverbally, enhancing our understanding of their social interactions.