Published in Frontiers in Psychology, this comprehensive review by Erika Csoltova and E. Mehinagic offers a critical overview of the emerging science of positive-emotion assessment in dogs. While much of canine welfare research has traditionally focused on stress and negative emotional states, the authors argue that understanding how dogs experience and express positive affect is equally essential for improving their quality of life.
The review synthesizes evidence from diverse disciplines, including behavioral science, physiology, neurobiology, and cognitive psychology. It outlines methods currently used to assess emotional states—ranging from heart rate variability and oxytocin measurement to behavioral indicators like play, tail wagging, and affiliative contact. Importantly, Csoltova and Mehinagic note that many existing tools were designed to detect distress rather than pleasure, underscoring the need to recalibrate methodologies toward identifying joy, relaxation, and social satisfaction.
The authors emphasize that positive-emotion research in dogs is still in its infancy. They advocate for a multidisciplinary framework that integrates physiological, cognitive, and behavioral measures to capture both short-term emotional fluctuations and longer-term affective well-being. This includes refining experimental designs to account for environmental context, human interaction, and individual variation among dogs.
By consolidating over 460 references, the review not only defines the current landscape of canine positive-emotion science but also proposes future research directions—including standardized emotional assessment protocols and improved technology for non-invasive monitoring. Their work lays the foundation for a more balanced approach to welfare science, one that recognizes not just the absence of suffering, but the presence of well-being.
Source: Csoltova, E., & Mehinagic, E. (2020). Where Do We Stand in the Domestic Dog (Canis familiaris) Positive-Emotion Assessment: A State-of-the-Art Review and Future Directions. Frontiers in Psychology, 11. Published September 8, 2020.
