Experts in living with us
Dogs are highly attentive to human cues. They can use gaze direction, pointing, posture, tone of voice, and previous experience to guide decisions. This does not mean they understand human minds exactly as we do; it means domestication and individual learning have made them skilled at extracting social information.
When a situation is uncertain, many dogs look to a person for information. This social referencing helps explain why our own reaction can increase or reduce a dog's sense of safety.
Communication works both ways
We also need to read the dog. Turning the head away, lip licking, lowering the body, freezing, or trying to leave may signal discomfort. Respecting early signals reduces the need for the animal to escalate.
Relationships improve when training and handling provide predictability, choice, and reinforcement of desired behavior instead of punishment for expressing fear.
SCIENTIFIC SOURCES