Pet Owners Guilty Of Misreading Pet's Emotions

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (WUSA) -- It appears dog owners have no one to blame but themselves when they think their pet gives them that guilty look.

A recent study finds people may be projecting their own emotions on pets.

And while we may never know the reason why Duke wags his tail when you walk in, some say the best way to communicate is to think like a dog.

We spoke with Alexandria dog owner, Thad Morgan, and Dog Trainers Shannon Mahoney and Bobby Mahoney from Capitol Heel Dog Training in Alexandria.

Thad Morgan feels his collie, Pixie, is well aware of her owner's emotions. When Pixie greets Thad at the door, she wags her tail and walks over to greet him. When he is upset, Pixie usually keeps her distance.

Trainers from Capitol Heel say dogs do experience some emotion, but they are best at picking up subtle visual cues. These cues form the normal communication between dogs in a pack. While we might try to use human communication to interact and understand Fido, it is easy to misinterpret what a pet is really trying to get across. Trainers say love and affection is the best communication between pet and owner.

The study on pet emotion was conducted by researchers at Barnard College in New York. The results are detailed in a special July issue of the journal Behavioral Processes.