This study by Yeliz Demirbas, Hakan Ozturk, B. Emre, M. Koçkaya, Tarkan Ozvardar, and Alison Scott examined how accurately adults can interpret canine body language when dogs interact with small children. Given that most dog bites involve young children, effective adult supervision depends on recognizing early signals of discomfort or stress in dogs.
The researchers distributed an online survey featuring three video clips of real child–dog interactions. An expert panel had classified the dogs in these videos as fearful, anxious, and lacking confidence. A total of 71 adults participated, representing four groups: dog owners with children, dog owners without children, non-dog owners with children, and non-dog owners without children.
Despite expert assessments, respondents overwhelmingly misread the dogs’ emotional states. Most classified the dogs as relaxed (68.4%) and confident (65.1%). When asked to describe the behavior of the dogs, participants most commonly reported play (23.0%) and friendly behavior (19.2%), rather than signs of fear or anxiety.
Adults relied primarily on holistic cues (44.6%)—subjective impressions of a dog’s overall demeanor—rather than specific behavioral indicators. Interestingly, non-dog owners performed better than dog owners at identifying the dogs’ emotional states. The authors suggest that relying solely on personal experience without formal knowledge of canine behavior may hinder accurate interpretation.
The findings underscore that many adults struggle to recognize subtle or moderate signs of stress in dogs, particularly during interactions involving children. This misinterpretation may lead to unsafe situations, as fearful or anxious dogs are more likely to escalate to defensive behaviors.
The authors emphasize the importance of adult education on canine body language and safe child–dog interaction practices as essential strategies for preventing dog bites and improving household safety.
Source: Demirbas, Y., Ozturk, H., Emre, B., Koçkaya, M., Ozvardar, T., & Scott, A. (2016). Adults’ Ability to Interpret Canine Body Language during a Dog–Child Interaction. Published November 22, 2016.
