Life experiences affect dogs’ responses to human crying

Abstract

Abstract Human crying is an emotionally and socially salient signal that communicates distress, need, and social intent, playing an important role in coordinating affiliative responses. Previous studies have shown that domestic dogs respond to human crying with increased attention and approach behaviors; however, little is known about how different developmental trajectories in dogs influence this responsiveness. This study compared the behavioral responses of companion, shelter, and free-ranging dogs to human crying in their natural environment. A total of 112 dogs were exposed to four conditions in which either a familiar person or an experimenter simulated crying or singing. We quantified person-oriented behaviors, including gazing, and physical contact, as well as non-social behaviors, and compared groups and conditions using Generalized Linear Mixed Models. Crying elicited more person-oriented behaviors than singing, regardless of familiarity or group. Moreover, companion and shelter dogs showed greater attention than free-ranging dogs, who displayed more independent and environment-focused behaviors. A clear habituation effect was observed, with reduced engagement in the task and increased non-social behaviors across exposures. The familiarity of the person had limited influence, suggesting that it was the emotional content of the crying that elicited more crying-directed behaviors, regardless of who was crying. These findings suggest that dogs are sensitive to human crying across different social contexts, but that the expression of this sensitivity varies according to developmental and environmental experiences, reflecting a dynamic interaction between evolutionary and developmental processes.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Scientific Reports, 2026 · DOI ↗