An MRI study found that a human smile in dogs causes the same reaction as a favorite food

Neuroscientists using MRI scans have found out how the brain of dogs responds to human facial expressions. It turned out that a smiling face is perceived by pets as a strong positive signal and activates the same areas of the brain as a favorite delicacy – even if a complete stranger smiles.

In the experiment, the researchers recorded the brain activity of dogs while they looked at photos of people with different emotions. The results showed that animals not only fix facial expressions, but also clearly distinguish positive human emotions from negative ones.

The main discovery concerns the mechanism of perception: a smiling face activates the reward zone in the brain in pets. This means that a friendly facial expression for a dog is equivalent to receiving a pleasant reward like food. The reaction was universal – the dog’s brain responded equally positively to familiar owners and strangers.

According to the researchers, a sincere human smile serves as an understandable signal of safety and joy for dogs, so scientists recommend that pets smile as often as possible.