A new study by the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna shows that dogs perceive human fear chemo signals and react differently to them. This refutes the previous assumption that dogs uniformly avoid such odors. The study, conducted by the Domestication Lab of the Konrad Lorenz Institute of Comparative Animal Behavior, provides new insights into the behavior of dogs and its significance for training, therapy and human-dog interaction.

The study included 61 dogs, which were divided into two groups. One group was exposed to objects, one of which was covered with human sweat of fear and the other with a neutral odor. The control group, on the other hand, had contact with two objects with a neutral odor. The results showed that dogs that perceived the smell of fear often exhibited behaviors such as hesitation, prolonged stay with the experimenter, or lowered tails. However, the great variability was striking: While some dogs avoided the smell of fear, others approached it faster than the neutral smell.

The researchers emphasize that these individual differences may be influenced by factors such as life experience, training, or race. The age and sex of the dogs, on the other hand, had no significant influence. These findings could improve the training of dogs, the selection of therapy dogs and the interaction between humans and dogs. A better understanding of responses to fear odors could promote dog well-being, reduce stress, and avoid potential conflicts, such as aggressive responses to anxious people.

The scientists plan to focus future studies on the role of environmental factors and individual experiences to further investigate dogs’ responses to human fear chemo signals. The results highlight the need to view dogs as individuals with different behaviors in order to optimize their interaction with humans.

Original Paper:

Frontiers | Not just avoidance: dogs show subtle individual differences in reacting to human fear chemosignals

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