Women and those with veterinary experience are especially good at deciphering feline expressions, even those who admit to having no strong attachment to cats.

“The ability to read animals’ facial expressions is critical to welfare assessment,” said Prof. Lee Niel, co-leader of the study with Prof. Georgia Mason, both in U of G’s Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare. “Our finding that some people are outstanding at reading these subtle clues suggests it’s a skill more people can be trained to do.”

News of the study spread far and wide, with stories in the Washington Post, Daily Mail, CBC, and others. The research, published in Animal Welfare, looked at a wide range of positive and negative emotional states in cats. More than 6,300 people in 85 countries participated, watching a number of short online videos of emotional cats and attempting to interpret whether their expressions were positive or negative. While most participants scored roughly 50 percent, 13 percent scored 75 percent or better. They were deemed “cat whisperers.”

Test your own ability to read cat expressions at https://catdogwelfare.wixsite.com/catfaces/cat-faces-interactivequiz

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Hugs aren’t necessarily off limits. The key is respecting your dog’s boundaries and personal space. Niel says each dog is different in terms of what they like and don’t like, so it’s important to watch your dog’s behaviour for clues.

“If they are showing signs of fear — things like lowered ears, lowered body posture and trying to pull away — those are obvious signs they are not enjoying a particular type of inter- action,” says Niel. “But if they are leaning in and soliciting more attention, you know you are on the right track as to the kind of things they enjoy.”

The type and amount of affection a dog enjoys isn’t about the dog’s breed. Niel says it’s about previous experien- ces and the individual personality of

the dog. This shouldn’t come as a surprise — it’s true of people, too. “The way we all interact with the world is based on our previous experiences of what is safe and what isn’t,” she says.

And just like us, if your dog is focused on an activity such as eating dinner or feels anxious for some reason, it might not be the best time to solicit affection from them.

“When your dog is stressed and focused on dealing with that stress, they might not want to be cuddled and touched because that might be distracting to them,” says Niel.

This is also true if they are sleeping. Like you, your dog may not want to be woken up for a hug.

Niel says the best approach for a happy dog is to make yourself avail- able and let them come to you.

Dogs can also adjust to our behav- iour. “You probably already know some ways your pet likes to interact with you,” says Niel. For example, most dogs like to be scratched on the shoulders.

Get to know what your dog likes and you will enjoy a trusting relation- ship with all the benefits of the human-animal bond. – KAREN MANTEL

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