A new study shows that dogs learn from our every move

You get home from work and you’re pooped.

All you want to do is veg on the couch with some Pirate’s Booty and watch some ridiculous television in peace.
 
But, low and behold, Syd is not down with that. Oh, no. Woman’s best friend wants to get all up in your business until you meet his gaze and give him exactly what he wants … a popcorn puff … okay, maybe six.
 
Go ahead. Get pissed off, wave your finger at him like a child, lock him in a crate—whatever makes you feel like you’re in control. But a new study published online in the Journal of Learning and Behavior suggests that you may have more control than you like.
 
According to the study, dogs not only watch for the crackle of the snack bag, but they also track your behavior and pay close attention to your body language and facial movements. They are watching your every move, sister.
 
The University of Florida study showed that canines pay such close attention to their owner’s eye contact and facial cues, that the dogs appeared to know when they were being watched and when they weren’t. Why do you think they wait until you leave to shred the trash?
 
These findings show that our behaviors are much more important than we think. If you feel guilty and feed your pooch every time he gives you the puppy face, you best believe that he will position himself in your line of vision until you give up the goods (kind of sounds like college, huh?). If your dog begs regularly, try using a book or even your hand to block his eyes from yours.  Chances are he will move to a place where he can lock eyes with you. And your neighbor says he's dumber than nails … Puuhlease.
 
“We want to believe dogs are communicating to us directly when we stare eye-to-eye,  but they likely have a trained task/condition in mind,” said Steven May, a 20-year pet expert and founder of The Daily Growl. “For search & rescue, protection and canine police dogs, they are trained to wait for the first command via hand or eye contact.”

May also makes an example of the mailman. Just watch how dogs react to the postal worker—they bark like crazy, growl and freak out like someone just robbed them of their manhood. But this is really just years of frustration—their conditioning is brought on by themselves. Imagine for a moment that someone came to your door every day, jiggling the mailbox and you could never greet, smell or meet them. You’d probably be an angry bitch, too, right?

Bitchworthy: Ever look into your dog’s eyes after they take a shit or leak on your carpet? Do you think that’s guilt you’re seeing? Not really, according to May. It is a trained condition and reaction to what is to follow—yelling and/or punishment. As odd as it sounds, their immediate reactions are always one step ahead.

Dr. Monique Udell, an assistant professor of psychology at Flager College in St. Augustine, Fla., says that conditioning might be why dogs are so successful in human homes.
 
“Dogs don’t have to read our minds. Dogs read our behavior,” said Udell. “They are quick learners, they can figure out when you are going to give them the next treat or whether you are going to give them a bath. Whether we know it or not, we are training them.”
 
Want a laugh or two? Watch this video of dog vs. owner. Pay attention to how the dog reads the eyes of his owner and listens to the tone of his voice. When the tone goes down in a final “no” tone, the dog reacts dramatically.
 
What tricks did (or do) you use to train your dog into the perfect companion? Share your tips with our community below.


Julie Foreman Hayes, SELF Feature Editor
Julie is the co-author of Green My Parents, a sustainability manual for kids, a team member for green business giant Opportunity Green and a writer and marketing consultant for all things healthy, wealthy and sustainable at Funnygreen.com. She is a Los  Angeles native and is workingdaily on becoming a better vegetarian.