Study by Julia Meyers-Manor cited in news article

Work by Associate Professor of Psychology Julia Meyers-Manor was cited in the article “Do Dogs Recognize Sadness?,” published recently by Newsweek, Washington Newsday and other outlets.

Findings from several studies were included in the article.

The study to which Meyers-Manor contributed was published in 2018 and “found that dogs not only recognize when their owners are upset, but they also desire to help them,” the article states.

“In the experiment, 34 canines and their owners were separated, and the owners were placed behind a clear door where they had to ask for help every 15 seconds, crying or humming a tune in between.

“To see if dogs could recognize when their humans were in peril, their plea for aid was questioned in either monotone or agitated voices.

“The study found that dogs could sense when their owners were in danger and would rush to their help, even opening a closed door to reach them.”