Every time I leave my house, my dog Luna tries to come with me. It seems like she has FOMO, which stands for “fear of missing out.” We often think our pets miss us, not just what’s happening outside. But do dogs really miss us when we’re not around?
Humans miss each other because we have emotional connections and the ability to bond and love. Dogs have similar abilities, but it can be tricky to understand how they show their affection.
Neuroscientist Gregory Berns has studied this topic. He trained dogs to enter an MRI machine so their brains and behaviors could be examined. In one study, researchers presented dogs with five different scents: their own, a familiar dog, a strange dog, a familiar human, and a strange human. They found that a specific brain area linked to positive feelings was most active when dogs smelled a familiar human. This suggests that dogs have a positive connection with their owners.
However, it’s hard to say if dogs truly miss their owners when they leave or if they just miss familiar company. Another study looked at how dogs behaved around people with different levels of familiarity: their owner, another familiar person, and a stranger. The results showed that dogs preferred their owners. In one test, dogs waited behind a door their owner had gone through, rather than following the other people.
I’ve often wondered if dogs know how long we’ve been gone. Do they understand time? A study explored how being left alone for different amounts of time affected dogs’ behavior. After two hours alone, dogs greeted their owners with more excitement—more tail wagging and lip licking—compared to when they had been alone for just 30 minutes. However, there wasn’t much difference in their greetings after being alone for two versus four hours. This suggests that while dogs might not have a clear sense of time, their behavior changes based on how long they’ve been apart from us.
While dogs’ understanding of time may be unclear, they do have circadian rhythms like humans, which means they feel hungry after a certain period. Research shows that dogs process visual information at least 25% faster than humans. This means that to them, videos or movies might look like a series of flickering images. This ability helps them react quickly to threats in the wild. In stressful situations, they might see images in a detailed, slow-motion way.
In the end, dogs see their owners as important figures in their lives. They miss us, whether we’ve been gone for just half an hour or a short vacation. For me, the feeling is mutual.
[phone rings]
Luna: Hello?
Oliver: This is Dog.
Luna: Oh, hey Oliver!
Oliver: Joe’s been barking at me again.
Luna: Oh, how embarrassing!
Oliver: If he’d just talk to me like a normal person, we’d get along fine.
For more insights about dogs, check out “It’s Okay To Be Smart” to learn if your dog really understands you.
Observe your dog or a friend’s dog for a week. Record their behavior when their owner leaves and returns. Note any changes in excitement, body language, or vocalizations. At the end of the week, analyze your observations to determine if the dog shows signs of missing their owner.
Gather five different scents: your own, a familiar person’s, a stranger’s, a familiar dog’s, and a strange dog’s. Present these scents to a dog and observe their reactions. Record which scents the dog seems most interested in or excited by, and discuss what this might indicate about their emotional connections.
Work in pairs to role-play scenarios where one person is a dog and the other is the owner. The “owner” leaves for different lengths of time (e.g., 5 minutes, 30 minutes, 2 hours) and then returns. Discuss how the “dog” might feel and react in each scenario, and relate this to the study findings on dogs’ perception of time.
Watch a short video clip at normal speed and then in slow motion. Discuss how the experience changes and relate this to how dogs might perceive visual information differently. Consider how this ability might help dogs in their natural environment.
Imagine a day in the life of a dog who misses their owner. Write a short story from the dog’s perspective, incorporating scientific insights about dogs’ emotional connections and time perception. Share your story with the class and discuss the different ways dogs might experience missing their owners.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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Every time I leave my house, my dog Luna tries to come with me. It seems like she experiences FOMO, or a fear of missing out. We like to think that our pets miss us, rather than just missing what’s outside. But do dogs really miss us when we’re gone?
First, we need to consider relationships. Humans miss other humans because of emotional connections and the capacity to bond and love. Dogs have similar abilities, though it can be a bit harder to understand how they express their affection.
Neuroscientist Gregory Berns has conducted research on this topic. He trained dogs to willingly enter an MRI machine so their brains and behaviors could be studied. In one study, researchers presented dogs with five different scents: their own, a familiar dog, a strange dog, a familiar human, and a strange human. They discovered that a specific brain region associated with positive expectations and reward was most active in response to the scent of a familiar human, indicating that dogs have a positive association with their owners.
However, it’s challenging to determine if dogs truly miss their owners when they leave or if they simply miss familiar company. Another study examined how dogs behaved around people with varying degrees of familiarity: their owner, another familiar person, and an unfamiliar person. The results showed that dogs preferred their owners. In one test, dogs waited behind a door that their owner had gone through, rather than the other individuals.
I’ve often wondered if dogs have a sense of how long we’ve been gone. Do they perceive time? A study investigated how being left alone for different durations affected dogs’ behavior. After two hours alone, dogs greeted their owners with more enthusiasm—more tail wagging and lip licking—compared to when they had been alone for just 30 minutes. However, there was no significant difference in their greetings after being alone for two versus four hours. This suggests that while dogs may not have a clear perception of time, their behavior is influenced by the duration of separation.
While a dog’s perception of time may be unclear, they do have circadian rhythms similar to humans, and they will feel hungry after a certain period. Research indicates that dogs process visual information at least 25% faster than humans, which means that to them, videos or movies may appear as a series of flickering images. This ability allows them to react quickly to threats in the wild. In stressful situations, they may perceive images in a detailed, slow-motion manner.
Ultimately, dogs do see their owners as significant figures in their lives. They miss us, whether we’ve been gone for half an hour or a short vacation. For me, the feeling is mutual.
[phone rings]
Luna: Hello?
Oliver: This is Dog.
Luna: Oh, hey Oliver!
Oliver: Joe’s been barking at me again.
Luna: Oh, how embarrassing!
Oliver: If he’d just talk to me like a normal person, we’d get along fine.
For more insights about dogs, check out “It’s Okay To Be Smart” to learn if your dog really understands you.
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This version maintains the original content’s essence while removing any informal language or unnecessary details.
Dogs – Domesticated mammals often kept as pets, known for their loyalty and companionship. – Dogs can be trained to assist people with disabilities, providing both help and companionship.
Emotions – Feelings that are responses to experiences and can affect thoughts and behavior. – Understanding emotions is important in psychology because they influence how we react to different situations.
Behavior – The way in which an organism acts in response to a particular situation or stimulus. – Scientists study animal behavior to learn how different species interact with their environment.
Relationships – Connections or associations between two or more people or organisms. – In biology, symbiotic relationships are important for the survival of many species.
Research – The systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources to establish facts and reach new conclusions. – Conducting research on brain development helps psychologists understand how teenagers think and learn.
Time – A measurable period during which events occur, often used to study changes in biology and psychology. – Over time, scientists have observed how certain plants adapt to changes in their environment.
Affection – A gentle feeling of fondness or liking, often important in social bonds. – Showing affection to pets can strengthen the bond between humans and animals.
Connection – A relationship or link between people, things, or ideas. – In psychology, a strong connection between friends can improve mental health and well-being.
Perception – The process of interpreting sensory information to understand the environment. – Our perception of color can change depending on the lighting conditions.
Rhythms – Regular, repeated patterns of movement or sound, often found in biological processes. – Circadian rhythms are natural cycles that regulate sleep and wakefulness in humans.
