We humans can empathise with other animals. When we empathise, we 'feel into' them and understand how they feel. Anyone who keeps an animal as a pet will likely do this, perhaps subconsciously.
I recognise the look in my dog's eyes as his dinner time approaches and understand that he is feeling impatient and hungry and feel his happiness and excitement as he jumps around barking when I then start to prepare his food for him.
When we see newborn lambs frolicking in a field we smile at the pure pleasure and fun they are having. And when we see the depressed face of a bored gorilla in a zoo we feel their sadness.
But can other animals also empathise?
Many people may think it obvious that non-human animals will empathise with each other. However, only recently has scientific evidence started to emerge. For example, different types of empathetic responses have been shown in certain animals such as mice, chimpanzees and orang-utans, for members of their own species.
What about showing empathy for animals of other species?
Well, chimpanzees that grow up interacting with people not only appear to console and help, other chimpanzees but also humans.
How about animals living in close contact with humans, such as domesticated dogs? Humans and dogs share a long common history and we have evolved a unique and complex relationship with special social bonds.
Researchers at the University of Porto, in Portugal have now suggested that the bond between dogs and their owners may be deeper than previously thought, and that dogs may share their owners' emotions. When confronted with a human displaying strong feelings, dogs produce a similar emotional response.
Previous studies have found that dogs’ stress hormones rise and fall in direct relation to their owner's and that dogs tend to yawn when they see people doing the same. Biomedical scientist Dr Karine Silva from the University of Porto said: "Curiously, contagious yawning has been connected to higher levels of empathy in humans, with studies suggesting that it probably shares a developmental basis with self-awareness and perspective taking."
Dr Silva claims that dogs even possess certain human-like social skills that chimpanzees, our closest relatives, do not. The animals' response goes beyond simply mimicing their owners' - a reaction known as ‘emotional contagion’. Dr Silva said: "A study showing that pets, namely dogs, behave as 'upset' as children when exposed to familiar people faking distress, strongly suggests 'sympathetic concern”. "Also, it has been reported that untrained dogs may be sensitive to human emergencies and may act appropriately to summon help, which, if true, suggests empathic perspective taking."
Our special relationship
The researchers believe there are three main reasons why dogs may be able to empathise with humans.
First, modern dogs originate from wolves, highly social animals who engage in cooperative activities and probably have some capacity for empathy towards other wolves. Second, as we have domesticated dogs, biological changes such as tameness may have synchronised their natural empathetic capacities with humans. Third, breed selection for increasingly difficult tasks such as herding animals or hunting may have led to more complex understanding of human emotion.
Our obligations towards dogs...
Crucially, the researchers conclude that evidence of the empathic abilities of dogs is of special importance for decisions about our obligations towards them: "Dogs have been increasingly involved with human activities and further studies are crucial if specific needs are to be met.” "For instance, it would be important to conduct rigorous tests on therapeutic dogs that seem to 'take on' the emotions of patients, needing massages and calming measures after the sessions."
..and our obligations towards other animals
Some people will no doubt question the point in scientific research such as this, believing it obvious from experience that other animals show empathy. I have no doubt my dog understands I’m feeling low when he gently and knowingly nuzzles into me after a bad day and he understands I’m feeling happy like him when we’re out walking and playing together in the hills on a sunny day.
However, the more scientific evidence we have of the capacities of other animals as sentient creatures the stronger our case for re-evaluating our relationships with them to benefit us all.