05/28/2026
Have you ever wondered "Is my dog trying to manipulate me right now?" The answer? Yeah, probably! A study published in the journal Scientific Reports found that dogs move their faces more when humans are looking at them, suggesting that those expressions are attempts to communicate with us.
Did you know that dogs have a specific facial muscle, used specifically for humans? This plays a key role to their manipulation tactic. Another study, this one from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) states that dogs' facial features, specifically "puppy dog eyes", may have evolved based on human preference. The study also suggests that through domestication, an evolution occurred where their facial muscle—the muscle responsible for raising the inner eyebrow—transformed to meet communication standards of humans.
A variety of breeds demonstrate different facial expressions, with the PNAS study suggesting that eyebrow movement is uniform across breeds. However, certain breeds—especially those bred to be companion dogs, such as Cavalier King Charles Spaniels— sometimes make "puppy dog eyes" more frequently.
Interestingly enough, the study noted that although all domestic dogs routinely possess this muscle, there is an exception...and that is the Siberian Husky! Huskies belong to more ancient dog breeds, and are more closely related to wolves than many other breeds. Although the study was flawed because the group had only one Husky to research. Instead, Huskies choose to communicate with vocalization, where they almost sound like human infants.
Since eye contact between dogs and humans is used to communicate, eye contact allows them to receive communication that is directed or relevant to them. This might be why one study done with dogs in a shelter observed that dogs who make the movement with their eyebrows are adopted more quickly than dogs that don't.
Isn't it amazing?! Dogs have learned to read and use human communication in ways that other animals can't 🤯
How often does your dog manipulate you with puppy dog eyes or adorable head tilts? Let us know in the comments below ⬇️
