Have you ever gotten a look from your dog that made you think, they are totally judging me? Do you think your dog is a bit judgmental? We wanted to know if dogs actually judge us for our behavior.
Luckily for us, there actually was a study done back in 2022 that revealed what we needed to know about the judginess of dogs. And thanks to Kinship, we know more about that study and what they determined about dog behavior.
It turns out that yes dogs can be judgmental. However, not all dogs are like that. And a big thing that determines whether or not your dog is likely judging you is actually based on whether or not they are male or female. Perhaps a bit unsurprisingly, male dogs are not the judgmental ones of the pack.
Yes, your dog might actually be judging you!
Obviously our dogs are not going to judge us the same way another human would. In fact, the reasons why your pup might be judging you actually makes perfect sense.
So what are some of the reasons for doggy judgement? Well it turns out that a lot of it has to do with our overall competence. How are we handling our lives and our ability to care for ourselves and our dog?
While male dogs in the study didn't seem to have a preference on who they would pick, for female dogs it was often the person who seemed able to handle themselves. And considering the test was related to opening a jar, with some participants struggling to open a jar, while others succeeded. When it came to picking which people to go towards, the female dogs often chose the person who was successful in getting their jar open.
One important aspect of this study also had to do with the behavior of the female dogs versus the male dogs in terms of their observation skills. It turns out that the females paid more attention to the humans around them, spending more time staring at people and observing their behavior.
Overall, this behavior is further proof that when it comes to your dog giving you a bit of side eye, they really might be judging you and your actions.
What do you think fellow dog lovers? Are you surprised to learn that female dogs might actually be judging us?