Humans and dogs smell different, look different, and behave differently—so when your dog interacts with you, they get a clear signal that you’re not a furless, two-legged version of them. In fact, your dog may understand the pet-human dynamic better than you realize.
How Do Dogs Know We’re Human?
Your is much more sensitive than yours. Over in their noses are dedicated to the sense of smell, compared to your measly 6 million receptors. Your dog also has a specifically built to detect pheromones.
Dr. Sung says people don’t have the scent glands around their mouths or cheeks that would give them a more dog-like smell. So, it’s pretty obvious to your dog that you lack the natural canine perfume.
A found dogs are quite good at recognizing other dogs from images. When researchers showed dogs photos of various animals, they reliably picked out their fellow canines. A Boston Terrier may not have much of a muzzle or tail, but they still appear more dog-like than a cat or human child.
In short, even if your dog lost their sense of smell, they could probably still tell you weren’t a dog—your two-legged stance and opposable thumbs give the game away.
Do Dogs Think Humans Are Their Parents?
Despite the difference in species, humans who call themselves a “dog parent” aren’t too far off the mark.
“I’m not sure if dogs see us as a parent, but they may see us as a provider,” says Dr. Sung. After all, you give your dog food and shelter. You and teach them how to
It’s unclear whether dogs have the same concept of “parent” as humans do, but Dr. Sung says they definitely consider people nurturing figures.
Similar to human infants and their mothers, dogs often treat their main human as a . A human’s presence can give a dog the confidence to explore their world, knowing their carer is nearby in case something happens. If they do encounter something scary, like a mailman or a motorcycle, a dog will act if they know their human is around.
What about other family members?
Of course, your dog won’t consider every human in the household a parental figure. “Dogs do have a different relationship with adults compared to children, especially 10 and under,” Dr. Sung says.
A child generally isn’t the one feeding and , so the dog knows they aren’t in charge. What they do think of kids can depend on the household and the individuals involved. Some dogs consider kids playmates, or tiny charges to guard. Others might and consider the kids their rivals.
Dogs also tend to view other pets as “siblings” rather than parents. Research suggests that two dogs in the same household will typically have a than to each other.
How Does This Affect The Dog/Human Relationship?
Over the course of centuries, people have bred dogs to be attuned to the needs of humans. After all, it’s hard to train a who doesn’t care what you say.
Although dogs can’t speak your language, they can understand up to . They also rely a lot on nonverbal cues, like or tone of voice. They can even tell your mood based on
Dogs are often willing to go the extra mile to cross the species divide. Among dogs, k.
Of course, there are limits to a dog’s Some human behaviors, like kisses or foot massages, just don’t translate well across species. That’s why it’s important to in a way your dog can understand.
