Can Dogs Smell Fear?

We're taught to be cool around strange dogs because they smell fear, and that might be true, but your fear is probably freaking them out too!
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[@michaelaj4495]

This might explain those stories you here on those paranormal shows where dogs act strange or bizarre in situations that usually effect the human in the same way e.g. Feeling scared about the idea of a ghost or the dark and the animal reacting the same way (fear, easily startled, anxious) or thinking somethings in the house and the pet feels the same way (panic, fear, breathing fast). Pretty easy to justify or exaggerate a story if your pet backs it up.

[@theblackdeath357]

Michael A J true, but sometimes the dog knows there is somthing there before you even have a clue it exists.

[@michaelaj4495]

theblackdeath357 I agree but the problem I have is, for example, we have a home intruder, if the dog perks up and barks or growls you don't know whether it was the dog knowing the intruder was there through sight or sound and could be the smell of the intruder and their fear of being caught that preps the dogs mood and not the owners scent.

[@sgneezen8176]

Remember: fearful dogs are more likely to bite (out of said fear), so don't do anything stupid.

[@MC-up9nx]

Sgneezen - more likely is a poor choice of words

[@ANARCHY.050]

Sgneezen - Remember: dogs cannot wrestle! :)

[@ufojourneys5648]

I’m more likely to hit and fight if they try to dominate me with fighting.

[@tinacayford7549]

That’s actually what I came over to this video to point out. It is included in a SciShow compilation, and it concerned me that this piece said don’t worry they are feeling it with you. I’m like no. No no no. Scared dog, if you are not their “people” is baaaaad. Dogs are actually more likely to bite suddenly, without prolonged warning behaviors, if they are afraid. If you can’t not be afraid of dogs, and they aren’t contained you are better off taking some distance in an open space if you can. A securely held leash is also containment. Remember that a scared dog whose person’s space is violated (even outside their own territory) will feel more threatened too. It is just better safe than sorry.

[@RRJRRJ]

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[@GilgameshEthics]

It's not about aggressiveness. And I know we all want to make dogs seem harmless. But a scared dog is more likely to strike out. It's why you don't corner them.

[@mylefnepple1936]

I corner my Pit Bull all the time. He doesn't get scared, he just goes for the jugular. He's a cutie.

[@toby9999]

​@@mylefnepple1936They're ugly, but they're at their ugliest when mauling small children. Honestly, one would have to be insane to want one.

[@GotPotatoes24]

Awww, the poor puppers get scared when they smell that a human is scared 😢

[@patrickmccurry1563]

It makes sense as many animals will react to the danger calls of other species.

[@lovexx5633]

Aww

[@morrishellgrn]

Well people with a phobia cant help it

[@bakasheru]

Worked with security dogs, we always assumed they could smell adrenaline. The dogs have zero problems finding people hiding in buildings even in when they are located in impossible hiding spots as long they are scared as hell. If encouraged in the right way, the dogs go to town when they smell that fear. And if that burglar/straggler shits it's pants, there is no stopping. They can still find people during drills that where not scared, but it would take just a bit longer. And no, dogs do not need to smell to know you're scared. They see it, they know it, they will react.

[@Danspy501st]

bakasheru Dogs works in so many ways. I always compare them to wolves (as it is from them the dogs come from) so for me I would rather look and memorize how wolves reacts and use it to dogs. Because sooner or later, dogs will act in the same way, more or less. You cant really take and breed their "predator" or "hunting" instinct away. It will still be there. I do enjoy watching Cesar Millan or people who works around wolves

[@roorooroo368]

I want more videos about dogs!!!

[@seddiqOutlaw4]

Ya like why do dogs sniff other dogs butts

[@bohemianlucy4726]

Yes, but isn't it true that scared dogs can end up acting more aggressively as in a the fight or flight response?

[@PADARM]

yes

[@Ian-bf4yk]

Yes but the key word is can most dogs in my experience will try to run and hide as opposed to fighting when they're scared

[@apple54345]

The real question this video failed to mention is: With such an amazing smelling sense, why do they voluntarily go sniffing asses.

[@manguy01]

*+apple54345* Research

[@Ian-bf4yk]

apple54345 I'm pretty sure they have scent glands there that help them get to know each other though I may be thinking of about another animal because I'm late and it's tired .

[@likecrazyhorse]

I'm a vet tech and have to tell owners to calm down because their anxiety transfers to the dog, making my job 10x's harder

[@JoshuaHillerup]

Scared dogs are more likely to bite strangers though

[@MrBonners]

You missed the point. It is not about scared dogs but about scared people and if dogs can pick it up..

[@JoshuaHillerup]

Yes, and usually people give the unhelpful advice that dogs smell fear so people will "stop being afraid" somehow and not get bit.

[@WouterCloetens]

Joshua Hillerup That works for me. Dogs are happy to meet me, and even if they’re a bit intimidated, I can quickly put them at ease. I take it that your use of the word “unhelpful” is intended to point out that people with a fear of dogs can’t control it?

[@MrKelz419]

Yes that is clearly what he means.

[@douglastang123]

"such a good doggo" xD

[@Fizer005]

ダグちゃん such an excellent pupper

[@OperativeBlue]

. lmaooo

[@calichef1962]

A couple of years ago I had an accident and cut my leg badly. I bled all over the common rooms of my house, and my dogs FREAKED OUT! They got really quiet and stayed FAR out of the way, but whined and needed reassurance, too. They didn't know what to do! They started feeling better after I went to the hospital and my roommate kindly cleaned up all the blood and then comforted them. They were OK once I got back from the hospital, but they insisted on a full inspection of the dressings over the stitches in my leg.

[@jawasstolemydroid4930]

My neighbor's Doberman gets more aggressive when it knows you're intimidated, and affectionate when his owner is scared. Anecdotally, I think he can smell it. AND that dog also seems to know who means trouble and who's merely just a mailman. I saw him scare off an intruder once... holy crap! That guy ran for his LIFE. But me letting myself in to feed him while the owners were away was fine. It helped to know he "smiles." Didn't know that about Dobbies, but they "smile" if they like you. It looks fierce. If he snorts, that's a smile. If he growls, that's NOT a smile.

[@VoMFilms]

Also it makes sense. Dogs have evolved besides us and I think it would be a handy trait to be able to read their humans scent. If their human is scared then instead of attacking them, helping them or being on guard seems like a wiser response. And in this modern age where our dogs rely on us the most, scary things for us must be a pretty scary thing.

[@patrickmccurry1563]

I have an anxiety disorder. I had a cowardly cat that figured out that if I wasn't nervous at a sound, then it had to be completely safe. He didn't run when groceries were delivered because I expected them and wasn't startled by the doorbell.

[@PADARM]

but if a dog feels threatened he can attack

[@Greenmasterone]

Paul Austin and a scared dog is more likely to attack than a happy dog.

[@PADARM]

agree

[@jorhodes4949]

Some dogs do behave aggressively when they’re afraid because they want to scare off the frightening person or dog. I’m looking at my Dean!

[@musclehank6067]

fear is for the weak

[@Celeste-in-Oz]

I was expecting 'dogs are for the weak' actually... but glad you didn't

[@tommeng6522]

Your meme is officially ded

[@HarryL2020]

Scientific Machine multiple hanks probably.

[@leadboots72]

Flavor is for the week

[@luisfdconti]

You missed the chance to call yourself Hunk Hank

[@AZREDFERN]

This actually makes a lot of sense. After all, empathy is a strong form of communication in dogs and humans. When someone cries, you feel sad too; if someone laughs, you also feel happy.

[@nealcarpenter3093]

There's something amiss, here. You separate fear from aggression. It seems to me that fear and aggression, while certainly not the same, are nevertheless frequently linked, as they are in humans.

[@bella5875]

You're definitely right about that! The mass majority of aggression cases are fear-related. That's why it's a bad idea to confront aggressive dogs with the older techniques like dominance, as they often make things much worse (just as similar treatments would worsen the fear response in humans).

[@silentwisperer]

interesting..

[@carman5314]

hi silentwisperer

[@Isaiah-hm7br]

3 years ago

[@korihor9161]

My pregnant wife got diagnosed with EHLER DANLOS SYNDROME. I wondered if you could do a episode about this. To learn something more and spread awareness. Thanks for making the internet a better place!

[@hydrangea2636]

My dogs get scared when I freak out during a thunderstorm 😂 Then I have to calm them down and end up calming myself down.

[@Azrage]

Gengaguy IK the feeling

[@sacr3]

Why does a storm scare you? You're an intellectual human being, you understand that its simply lightning strikes that create this sound and you're 100% perfectly safe in your home. Where does the fear come from? That would be an irrational fear, being scared of a noise when you clearly understand what it is and how it won't hurt you. A dog doesn't, hence why a lot get scared. All they know is that a loud sound is occurring and they don't know what from.

[@jannicklumme9298]

There are a lot of irrational fears with fear of storms or spiders being one of the more common.

[@hydrangea2636]

The fear comes from the fact that I'm not expecting the first thunder rumble as I never look out the window. So all of a sudden there is a huge bang, it's a shock.

[@Bunny501]

Jannick Lumme If I see a spider I don't recognize, I'm gonna freak out. Arachnophobia is perfectly rational.

[@johnbarnett2804]

Love the Video Hank. The more I know about my Dog the Better. They say dogs can tell when your sick. Not my dog, He's a 2 year old, 105 pound Rottweiler-Lab mix that is always in Play Mode. when I'm sick he brings me a toy and wants to play Tug-A-War. Playing Tug-A-War with a 105 pound Rottweiler-Lab mix is not what your in the mood for when your sick. But I love him more then anything anyway.

[@aidilazhar6552]

Hank, can you please explain the time zones in a video? I'd prefer this channel than any other bcs the information delivered is clear. I've been watching this channel for a long time now and I really love it by the way!

[@Calus767]

Where is Muscle Hank with “Fear is for the weak.”??

[@xxXthekevXxx]

He’s in the top comments above you lol

[@evelynellsworth6211]

My dog has been sleeping with me ever since I got home from the hospital because she knows I need support while I'm healing

[@jackthmp]

Dogs can hear your heartbeat and can thus extrapolate danger as you sense it.

[@tc1817]

My take on it is: dogs usually have an owner of leader. If the humans around them are scared, the dog gets scared too, with or without knowing why the leader is scared. If a small child were to be frightened by the dog, the dog does not necessarily understand why the child is scared..and reacts fearfully without knowing the he/she is actually the cause of the child's fear. My dogs will look around for what is scaring the child. It's kind of funny.

[@CKTDanny]

*Fear. I can smell it.*

[@taiken64]

SDG Danny *Fear. I can sme-Squirrel!*

[@morrishellgrn]

*Cynophobia has left the chat*

[@trish2138]

I have 3 dogs ~ 2 GSP’s and 1 CockerSpaniel. The 2 GermanShorthairedPointer’s are smart; the CockerSpaniel is, well, not so smart. When I come home, they are all so excited to see me and I usually say in my happy voice, “Hello puppies! What good doggies! How are all my babies?” Usually the Pointers run around finding toys to bring me, wagging their tails, wanting to play. The little one just follows me everywhere I go. I have tried this experienment a few times where I say, in my happy voice, “Hello you rotten animals! It looks likes you all have been so bad today! What crap have you torn up today while I was gone you little monsters?” There is no change in how they act towards me at that moment of greeting me at the door. They are just so excited I am home. HOWEVER, I have noticed once they calm down, and I pull these tricks on them, Otto and Heidi, the two GSP’s, will tilt their heads and look at me like, did she say something that wasn’t supposed to be said? Are we in trouble? All the while Sophie, the blonde bimbo, I mean our Cocker Spaniel, is just laying by my feet waiting for the next trip around the house! She is only 3, she is not deaf, I promise! So sometimes what your video said about dogs understanding is correct, and sometimes it isn’t. I guess it’s just like people, whether they are paying attention or not! :) I will admit however, I do talk to out dogs a lot, and I know they understand quite a bit…they do have a big memory for vocabulary because I will say key words for many things and they know exactly what we are going to do and what those key words mean! They are smarter than you think ~ at least the two GSP’s! I haven’t given up on Sophie yet, I just think she may be a follower because she is smaller than the other two. Heidi weighs 70 lbs, Otto weighs 55 lbs, and Sophie weighs 25 lbs dripping wet! But don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen her put them both in their place when she is roughed up by them or if they steal her bone or favorite sleeping pillow. She is a little tomboy, just not a very academic one, yet!

[@AliceSylph]

Even though my parent's dog is not the brightest, has no training in this and I only see him once a year, he can tell when I'm anxious. His behaviour changes, becoming much quieter, more protective of me and basically doesn't leave me alone. He isn't violent with it, but my old dog was if she could tell someone in particular was making me anxious. I've never had a therapy dog but our dogs have always been able to tell the difference.

[@Stacy_Smith]

This research can be used to create "reasonable suspicion" at airports, bus terminals, concerts, and other public venues. Police investigators can collect T-shirts from detainees wearing NEW jail clothes after questioning. Even innocent people get nervous when being interrogated. Dogs are EXCELLENT at recognizing patterns. Once dogs are trained to learn what nervous smells like they can be used to walk rope lines at political events, patrol airports etc. Just because someone is nervous might not be just cause enough to search someone, but it's enough to let law enforcement know to keep an extra eye on that individual. The secret service could definitely use a team of dogs trained to detect nervous people.

[@janicecolumbus4917]

Idea for a new study: If a dog responds to fear with fear, does it feel a greater need to protect itself or its owner? And, could that protective feeling lead to aggressive behavior?

[@DanielRenardAnimation]

My dog can be sleeping on the bed while I sit and work on the computer, where I usually also listen to music. If there's some really 'epic tune' playing, I can usually immerse myself in thought and live myself into it and get a small and silent emotional response to it. In mere seconds, the dog gets up, walks over to the corner of the bed closest to me and begins to swing its little paw at me, as if to say _"Is something wrong?! I'm here! I'm here!"._ That would seem to confirm this study.

[@AVEdrums]

Last night my dog trapped himself in a duvet cover and almost ran out of oxygen. He was crying and panicking, he's lucky that I found him and heard him otherwise he'd have been dead. He looked very shocked afterwards.

[@jimster1111]

wow its hank! pretty much the reason why i watch this show.

[@rpsnider85]

I never thought that the saying was wrong in the absolute sense, only that the causation was lacking structure. People have mostly said it to mean that they can smell your fear and will get more aggressive. But that's only part of the story, I've noticed it in all of my dogs my whole life that if i, or anyone close to the dogs emotionally, got scared the dogs would sense it and become more aggressive but not at us...at any outside stimulus that might be the cause of our fear. So I always figured that they could actually smell it along with just being able to tell by how their owner reacts and that they get scared but not for themselves, they get scared for their owner and naturally would become aggressive towards whatever it believes is scaring the owner. Case in point, my wife turned on the vacuum (which my dog usually likes to play with) while I had our 8 month old son asleep on my chest and it startled him and scared him (usually it doesn't but his eyes had just shut) and instantly my dog was flying off the bed at the vacuum cleaner and tackled it to the floor and grabbed it's hose with his teeth...or maybe my dog is just nuts.

[@bella5875]

Robert Snider you probably have a fairly high-energy dog, am I right? The chasing the vacuum cleaner is likely a "drive" thing, an instinct to chase. It might also have to do with the dog being afraid of it but that's only the case if they also run away from it on occasion. In the case of protecting the owner, I don't think this is what's happening. A lot of times a fearful dog will mock confidence and bark and charge at something they are afraid of in order for it to go away. I have a year old pup who's come a long way in his fear rehabilitation, but he's extra sensitive to potentially threatening things he's never seen before (even if they're not there). In the situation you've described the dog is more than likely understanding the human's fear to be for some reason that they can't understand, but they believe the threat is there somewhere. Not being able to identify it frightens them further. Dogs really are interesting creatures! (:

[@Denigrate123]

The real question is, if a dog is already in the "fight" response, growling and showing its teeth, and prepared to attack if it deems necessary, what happens when it smells fear *THEN*? Does that give it the feeling that it has the "upper-hand" and then thinks it can press the issue (escalate its aggression)? Or does it actually still cause fear in the dog and make less likely to attack at that point? I think it's kind of obvious that if the dog is calm or in a neutral state and with its owner with no threat in sight and it smells fear that it would be afraid too....

[@bella5875]

Jeff What a dog does when it "smells fear" would widely depend on its individual personality. A dog who's insecure and fearful is much more likely to react badly than one that's confident. Aggression is almost always fear-related, so there's usually no "upper-hand" to be assumed, just a perceived opportunity to defend. Some dogs are worse about going towards what scares them than others. Often you'll see a mix of both offensive and defensive behavior, as the dog would be trying to make itself look more threatening in order to increase distance between itself and its trigger. Many animals do this, even us. This makes it appear confident when it's actually terrified. But to answer your question, dogs are actually able to gauge the emotions of other dogs incredibly well, and guess where they pick up this information... you guessed it, the rear end! The reason why I say a fearful dog is more likely to react badly to the presence of a stress hormone is because they are especially sensitive towards the feelings and behaviors of other dogs and people. Think of someone with anxiety who's more alert than someone who isn't. They're more likely to freak out if something scary happens, right? Same thing with dogs. A more balanced dog who smells fear in the environment and not on a dog or human would likely react very little to it if at all, but when it originates from a direct source the dog would be more likely to assess the situation. A fearful dog will react to both the scents around it and the potentially threatening person who is showing they are also afraid in their body language. Remember, aggression is most often rooted in fear. If the human is visibly afraid, that must mean that they have potential of acting aggressively to the dog as well. That's why the defense often kicks into overdrive.

[@lovipoekimo176]

I clicked because of the snout thumbnail. I wanted to boop it.

[@baysword]

I must not fear. Fear is the mind killer. Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me.

[@Ikuequim]

this is true this is why you dont panic when a dog is growling at you

[@jaimie00]

It's more than just fear with cats. (Possibly dogs as well, since they didn't attempt more emotional states in this study.) Depending on the cat and a few other variables, We've been able to show that they sense and react differently to anywhere from 3 to 6 (so far) emotional states. And there is some evidence that, if your cat licks your tears, they can get more info about your emotional state. Still a lot more work to do, but it's fascinating stuff.

[@JustusScottJr]

Scared dogs are more likely to bite what they percieve as a threat. If the dog is growling at you, it percieves you as a threat. The way a dog reacts to a sweat soaked pad in a lab under no threat is going to be different to the way a strange dog acts towards you if it percieves you as a threat and scares you and you act in a fearful way by running away or yelling at the dog. Controlling yourself in stressful situations (with dogs or any living thing) will be a better route to go than letting your fear go unchecked. This is the problem when laboratory conditions are drawn as direct analogy to the situations they are trying to model without considering the practical implications. It's irresponsible at least to imply something is true in a manner that sounds like advice when that implied advice will end up getting someone hurt. You should take this video down and don't put it back up until you have added some perspective from dog behavioralists or trainers about how people with real world experience deal with aggressive dogs.

[@bella5875]

Justus Scott Well said! While I feel this video gave a lot of insight into how dogs perceive scents, a lot of people in the comments are talking about encounters with fearful dogs. As a trainer myself who has experience with highly fearful and aggressive dogs, your statement is something I absolutely agree with. Body language of the person interacting with the dog seems to be a much more important factor when considering how the dog will react. On top of that there are an incredible number of factors that tie into fear, reactivity, and aggression in dogs and how they need to be handled. They require hours upon hours of study to fully understand and people should NOT try to experiment on this video's findings by taunting or invading a dog's space.

[@RicardoMoralesMassin]

Dogs are great, Sci Show is great. This is like a double-great video

[@cachet.uncannypannace5360]

This explains the last season of mirror black!! remember that ep where dogs became the super robots to eliminate the innocent M.F

[@starcrossedgirl23]

What usually happens is that people who are afraid of dogs usually stare at them. And my dog can't stand that (she doesn't mind friendly looks though). So she will actually growl at people who are afraid of her. She is hypersensitive to body language though. She hates my uncle when he standing cause he has a very stiff stance and kinda glares at her, but doesn't mind him when he's sitting down. When I'm walking her I need to radiate confidence because when I slouch or get distracted she becomes more dominant. Dogs can be quite tricky.

[@juanribera2095]

Dogs are much more perceptive than we give them credit for. Great video!!

[@katzpajamas5123]

Dogs are amazing! Thanks for helping us understand them more ❤

[@sommerjones6682]

What can cats smell? I have lots of experience interacting with and owning dogs and cats. Also fear can cause aggressiveness in animals and humans. Awesome video, thanks! Love you, Hank!

[@smac919]

A fearful dog can easily become aggressive, that's for damn sure.

[@nunyobiznez875]

Context is everything, and it also depends on the dog themselves. An aggressive guard dog that views someone as an intruder and a direct threat, with the dog themselves being the source of their fear, is going to react differently than a friendly poodle, just smelling a swab of sweat at random, and having no idea why or what the source of that fear is.

[@Armoterra]

Thing is, though, scared dogs are more likely to attack. This is why smaller dogs are typically nastier pets.

[@bickle8931]

Armoterra its also because no trains them and establishes what is is and isnt ok. People tend to get afraid when large dogs approach small dogs and the small dog picks up on that and reacts negatively and eventually it just becomes nature.

[@Armoterra]

Like I said, "are more likely." Most dogs are not professionally trained to be police-quality guard dogs, and we can't expect them to be. Any scared animal, including humans, will resort to attacking when escaping doesn't seem to be an option.

[@zatar123]

A dog reacting to a fear smell presented by a human it trust is a very different thing than a dog smelling fear coming from a human it is trying to intimidate.

[@Wreck_RS]

We would watch this guy all the time in Biology class makes me wonder why we had the class in the first place

[@ahmedma3oda]

I knew it.

[@gambit-6181]

So if dogs become wary of strangers and you're the stranger that is scared of the dog, would that not mean that the dog would be more likely to attack the scared stranger out of fear?

[@bella5875]

Gambit - a lot of factors go into whether a dog will attack someone, but yes someone who is afraid (especially who show visual signs of being afraid) are waaay more likely to get a negative response from a fearful dog.

[@bickle8931]

People with anxiety actually tend to get bit by strange dogs more

[@inspiredmedia2801]

I think the studies overlook a dogs response when smelling and not fear while the dog is aggressive...

[@dereklam1225]

I wonder about the selection bias that affects the studies, since the subjects were domesticated dogs rather than strays. The 2018 study was more specific yet with dogs living with at least two people. The ability to smell emotional cues is fascinating, but concluding that their emotions mirror ours in general seems hasty, since it seems more likely to be conditioned rather than intrinsic.

[@scottjacoby2594]

Hey Sci-Show! Can you explain the phenomena that when people of a certain age think about 10, 20, and 30 years ago, they think back to the 90s, 80s, and 70s (respectively). I think it may be related to the Mandela Effect, but everyone i know seems to do this and it’s so mind boggling!

[@afragilebird6209]

definitely don't want to show fear when around dogs not cause they will be more aggressive but because they are sweet pups who don't deserve that stress

[@LtNduati]

Wait 10-100,000 that's such a wide range... Science you have some explaining to do!!!

[@bearcingetorix6326]

The old adage holds then because a scared dog is way more likely to bite you. The study removes the idea that dogs hunt or gain confidence in malevolence based on fear though.

[@Hondenzijngevaarlijk]

So fear is never an excuse for dogs to bite? It's used as an excuse for dogs mauling people to death quite often. Poor doggie was just afraid...... I never saw it as an excuse anyways; it's crazy to have animals that can kill and cause severe injuries around children (or anyone who hasn't chosen to be around a dog).

[@58Galtha]

Some dogs react to fear by being aggressive. My dog seems to have this trait. Either that or she is rarely afraid of anything. She weights 21 lbs but has no fear of most other animals or much larger dogs.

[@sage5296]

Makes sense, I mean if the animal is afraid it will be more desperate and more dangerous, and if it’s afraid it makes sense to run away, cause it might be afraid of something that the dog should be afraid of too.

[@chickenmonger123]

So do they smell anger? What is their response? What about sadness, and what is that response? Do they respond in kind? Or do they have different responses to different emotions?

[@TheAstip]

My dog hates it when I’m anxious, he hides under tables. Sometimes he notices I’m anxious before I am. Not the best anxiety dog... still love him though

[@Dyslexic-Artist-Theory-on-Time]

I love dogs! Why don’t you make a video on the alternative theories about the Universe on KZbin this would be interesting and good for the KZbin community!!!

[@Technocolor00]

That makes sense, theyre social and live in packs. If they smell another member of the pack is afraid it means theres probally something alarming possibly even dangerous around. I assume that sweat they smelled wasnt from people they lived with but even so just smelling fear itself is probally alarming enough. Id be interesting in seeing other non domesticated canines tested, especially wolf. Use ones from zoos and sanctuaries who have varying amounts of human interaction to they learn our emotion specific scents and react to them. If they do then try testing some wild ones to see if maybe fear and other emotions smell similar in canine species which could have helped lead to dogs being domesticated. Oh and test bears for the sake of Jon from sociology who is afraid of bears because they can smell fear

[@Smilomaniac]

In other words, it'd be a good starting point to figure out what pheromones or chemicals we release via sweat in different situations. Studying how dogs react would be secondary.

[@reinette_croissant]

These were studies of domestic dogs though, and they've evolved to be sympathetic to human emotions. I'd be interested to see similar studies with wild predators. Though of course, that would be much harder to do.

[@manooch]

Before I read this on websites etc,. , I discovered dogs can smell fear years ago by my own experience , we several employees were listening to our manager at his house who was sort of briefing us about our jobs , before his big dog next to him make any reaction , I sensed in manager's eyes that he was sort of scared of so many people watching him , then suddenly the dog started to make moaning sounds , I don't know why so many years ago I concluded that the dog smelled his owner's fear and was moaning sort of saying why are you scared !!

[@DamagedF0X]

If I'm laying on the bed browsing the dankest of memes, (I only get the best.) If I let out even the smallest giggle, 2 of my dogs know that my laughing = happy and positive, so they get up in my face and wiggle. Which doesn't really surprise me. Just for the fun of someone reading this, I live with 8 dogs!!

[@angelica3744]

A scared dog can turn potentially aggressive though, so it’s entirely possible that even though they are scared because you’re scared, they will attack.

[@kaelaolsen9251]

THANK YOU SCISHOW!!! But WILL YOU PLEASE DO A VIDEO ON GLIOMAS??? Or at least give me a yes or no????

[@SciWise]

This likely also applies to many animals...bears, cats, etc (maybe not as significantly, though)

[@yeekasoose]

What if the dog has been abused, or trained to be aggressive? If a dog acting aggressively toward me already (which is when the advice about not showing fear is usually recited), I would expect the smell of my fear to make it even more aggressive.

[@MacoveiVlad]

But doesn't scaring a dog activate the fight or flight response? Making it more likely it would attack?

[@iStylesOG]

Hank saying doggo with such a straight face made me crack up 😂

[@vinkbram]

Please more news like this about studies being reproduced. With posting interesting new studies only, scishow is part of the problem!

[@patrickmccurry1563]

I had a super sensitive sense of smell before diabetes. I could play tag with pets in the dark and could identify anyone but purebred animals by odor alone. My favorite smell was that of mammals that were sleeping or had just woken up.

[@JorgeStolfi]

As others have pointed out, a fearful dog may be more likely to attack than a relaxed one. Context may be important too. In the experiment all the dogs knew is "some human is afraid of something". Them being alarmed too is not surprising. Their reaction may well be different if the message is "that human who is invading my territory is afraid of me". Or "hey boys, that human is afraid of us, let's have some fun by running after him".

[@AndreyBelenkiy]

I have a feeling the emotional response depends on the dog and its intentions. A dog that is initially non-hostile towards you may pick up on your fear as a means of survival, since a pack of dogs is better off responding to stimuli as a group. An agressive dog may on the other hand feel reasurred because any creature experiencing fear is more likely to flee than harm its attacker. It is an obvious advantage for the attacker if they know they are being intimidating.

[@tahwnikcufos]

Hank, crystal defects or grain boundaries?

[@johneli495]

I'm sure they would be able to smell my pepper spray in their face

[@ronaldbrown5842]

Hold up this doesn't explain why dogs don't like certain people. My brothers ex was over my parents house and my stepdad has 2 dogs and i had one at the time so when my brothers ex came in through the front door all 3 dogs were barking at her as if they wanted to attack her.

[@eloujtimereaver4504]

Fear is the source of almost all aggression.

[@aniekanumoren6088]

Could you pls do a vid about chiropractors. I'm conflicted as to whether they're quacks or not

[@snoergee]

So that explains part of why dogs and humans get along so well, it's because they basically share each other's emotions

[@theincarnationofboredom207]

It'd make sense for the smell of fear to make another animal afraid. If one animal is afraid of something, then that means there's a threat, which of course is not good.

[@lilj4818]

Fear biting is a real thing. My dog Chloe is unfortunately very fear aggressive, and would likely bite a stranger if I wasn’t there. Otherwise she cowers behind me, trembling and whimpering. :(

[@cedarbobedar7223]

D'aww it's the stinkiest empathy

[@Sintrael11]

I am 100% sure in one of scishows video one of you guys mentioned that humans are as good as dog at smelling but in a different way

[@mismismism]

I think it still applies cuz a scared animal is more likely to bite cuz it's scared of you or that some danger is present. Don't try to approach an unknown dog if you're scared cuz you're gonna make them scared so they might bite you.

[@janepiepes2243]

Yes, Hank, it seems by observing my dog, that his emotions are in line with mine. I thought that these could be selection effects, though. But there's evidence to show how this may not be the case . Quite interesting.

[@sunnylovett5533]

Makses sense, however they fail to account for the difference between a tame pet dog and a wild dog and most certainly fail to account for the differences between a pet dog and a wolf.

[@bickle8931]

Sunny Lovett fear can trigger a predators prey drive because prey is usually afraid and they just know that.

[@Aeronor2001]

I wonder though if a dog that is acting aggressively and then also subjected to increased fear levels could respond to those feelings by becoming more aggressive.

[@hanshintermann1551]

HA! I always knew it! I am going to send this to my Biology teacher who did not believe me back in school!

[@zirl1521]

literally just got attacked by one

[@toby9999]

Dogs suck bigtime. They're dangerous mutants. Centuries of selective breeding has produced seriously flawed animals. I keep as far away from dogs as possible.

[@Tom-xy9gb]

I’m never afraid of a doggo. I got a big doggo, so when you’re an owner of a big doggo he/she make you not scared