# Dogs can tell if you are scared or sad, brain scans show 2026-08-13T07:51:26+00:00 | Health & Science | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets A new study published in iScience found that dogs can distinguish between human emotions such as happiness, fear, anger, and sadness using brain scans. Researchers at the University of Vienna trained pet dogs to lie still in fMRI machines and showed them photographs of strangers making different expressions. Machine learning analysis revealed that different brain regions lit up for each emotion, especially separating fear from anger and sadness. The caudate nucleus, linked to reward processing, showed a strong response to happy faces. The study included only 8 to 12 dogs, all from loving homes. The scientists stress that distinguishing an emotion does not mean dogs experience it the same way as humans. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com - livemint.com Tags: animal cognition, dogs, emotion recognition, fMRI, University of Vienna Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/dogs-can-distinguish-human-emotions-brain-scans-confirm/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/dogs-can-distinguish-human-emotions-brain-scans-confirm/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.