# Study: dogs seem to empathize with crying humans **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 1, 2012, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/study-dogs-seem-to-empathize-with-crying-humans/633342 "2012-09-01T06:09:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2012, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/study-dogs-seem-to-empathize-with-crying-humans/633342/1 "2012-09-01T06:09:14Z")
> [@](#): > > Dogs may empathize with humans more than any other animal, including humans themselves, several new studies suggest. > > The latest research, published in the journal Animal Cognition, found that pet dogs may truly be man (or woman’s) best friend if a person is in distress. That distressed individual does not even have to be someone the dog knows. > > “I think there is good reason to suspect dogs would be more sensitive to human emotion than other species,” co-author Deborah Custance told Discovery News. “We have domesticated dogs over a long period of time. We have selectively bred them to act as our companions.” > > “Thus,” she added," those dogs that responded sensitively to our emotional cues may have been the individuals that we would be more likely to keep as pets and breed from." [http://news.discovery.com/animals/dogs-empathy-humans-120831.html](http://news.discovery.com/animals/dogs-empathy-humans-120831.html) I think most of us who have owned dogs would say dogs seem to be sensitive to human emotions. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2012, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/study-dogs-seem-to-empathize-with-crying-humans/633342/2 "2012-09-01T06:12:08Z")
This isn’t news to me. I grew up with dogs in the household (most commonly several at a time), and anyone who’s been an adolescent female in a messy family situation knows dogs respond to human emotion and do their best to comfort a sad human. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2012, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/study-dogs-seem-to-empathize-with-crying-humans/633342/3 "2012-09-01T06:19:39Z")
I grew up with a cat who would always jump onto my lap and snuggle when I cried. I dunno if it’s relevant, the thread just reminded me of that. =) ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2012, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/study-dogs-seem-to-empathize-with-crying-humans/633342/4 "2012-09-01T06:20:34Z")
> [@Seanette](#): > > This isn’t news to me. I grew up with dogs in the household (most commonly several at a time), and anyone who’s been an adolescent female in a messy family situation knows dogs respond to human emotion and do their best to comfort a sad human. Oh yes; my dog is freaky-aware when it comes to my emotional state. I honestly don’t know how he is so perceptive but I am constantly amazed at his ability to know exactly when to come and just be my friend. Or conversely, his seemingly preternatural ability to be nowhere to be found when I am even slightly irritated or in a bad mood. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2012, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/study-dogs-seem-to-empathize-with-crying-humans/633342/5 "2012-09-01T07:10:21Z")
> [@Rachellelogram](#): > > I grew up with a cat who would always jump onto my lap and snuggle when I cried. I dunno if it’s relevant, the thread just reminded me of that. =) I’ve had cats like that, too. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2012, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/study-dogs-seem-to-empathize-with-crying-humans/633342/6 "2012-09-01T13:21:16Z")
> [@Seanette](#): > > I’ve had cats like that, too. Me too. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2012, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/study-dogs-seem-to-empathize-with-crying-humans/633342/7 "2012-09-01T13:23:09Z")
> [@Rachellelogram](#): > > I grew up with a cat who would always jump onto my lap and snuggle when I cried. I dunno if it’s relevant, the thread just reminded me of that. =) This thread reminded me of my cat who cuddled me when I cried, too. ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2012, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/study-dogs-seem-to-empathize-with-crying-humans/633342/8 "2012-09-01T14:32:29Z")
Just informally tested my dog. When I hummed “Mary Had a Little Lamb”, she just looked up at me with a “WTF?” expression. 🙂 But when I pretended to be sobbing, she came over to me and started asking for my attention. Animals can be such good friends. I work in health care and often encounter patients who are too sick to work and tell me they feel lonely/bored. I often suggest to such patients that they consider doing something like volunteer work with animals because I think that almost anyone can benefit from the nonjudgemental companionship of an animal. ---
**Author:** ![booklover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@booklover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/booklover)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2012, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/study-dogs-seem-to-empathize-with-crying-humans/633342/9 "2012-09-01T16:57:50Z")
Oh, yes–our dog is deeply concerned whenever people cry. We’ve also made the recent discovery that if you pretend to cuddle something in your arms and make cooing/whimpering or tiny meowing noises, she is very intrigued and makes little noises of interest. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2012, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/study-dogs-seem-to-empathize-with-crying-humans/633342/10 "2012-09-01T17:16:34Z")
One time I had a panic attack when I was out somewhere with my dog. She was awesome! ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2012, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/study-dogs-seem-to-empathize-with-crying-humans/633342/11 "2012-09-01T17:27:44Z")
When an episode of “Law and Order: SVU” ends and the studio wolf logo howls, if I join in the howling my dog will spin around like Linda Blair’s head in _The Exorcist_. Not sure what that means. ---
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2012, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/study-dogs-seem-to-empathize-with-crying-humans/633342/12 "2012-09-01T17:31:40Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > One time I had a panic attack when I was out somewhere with my dog. She was awesome! There are service dogs specifically trained for people with panic disorder and post-traumatic stress syndrome. I think that’s fascinating! My dog respects my ability to take care of myself. 😛 Well, once I slipped and fell face down on the floor and she nudged me, like, “You dead yet, mon?” > [@Jackmannii](#): > > When an episode of “Law and Order: SVU” ends and the studio wolf logo howls, if I join in the howling my dog will spin around like Linda Blair’s head in _The Exorcist_. > > Not sure what that means. Try playing “Werewolves of London” and singing along. My dog loves that. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2012, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/study-dogs-seem-to-empathize-with-crying-humans/633342/13 "2012-09-02T02:07:22Z")
> [@Rachellelogram](#): > > I grew up with a cat who would always jump onto my lap and snuggle when I cried. I dunno if it’s relevant, the thread just reminded me of that. =) > [@Seanette](#): > > I’ve had cats like that, too. > [@Napier](#): > > Me too. As far as I can tell, my cats are the center of their own respective universes and are more likely to hide away until the human stops making those scary noises. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2012, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/study-dogs-seem-to-empathize-with-crying-humans/633342/14 "2012-09-02T03:19:31Z")
That won’t make the 6 o’clock news for most dog owners. What I’d like to know is how the hell people get the grants for this kind of research? Dayum, I need a job, too!