There has been a deep bond between dogs and humans for a long time and this bond continues to grow with each passing day. Today, when we look around, we see that almost everyone has at least one pet. Of course, among these animals, the number of cats and dogs that are loyal friends of humans is quite high.
Like everything else, it should be said that the puppies of dogs are also cute. With innocent facial expressions that have the power to make us do almost anything they want, it may not be possible to resist them. Well, have you ever thought about the reason why puppies are sweeter to us? Let’s examine the results of scientific research on the subject together.
It has been determined that dogs have been domesticated in such a way that they can make facial expressions similar to humans
The results of this statement are of particular interest to those who have dog friends like me and myself. As the owner of two dogs, one of which is a puppy, I can tell that my puppy has avoided all his mischief with cute facial expressions. As a matter of fact, I never sat down and thought about the real reason for this. But looking at it now, many of us really do have a special sympathy for puppies. Except when they’re misbehaving, of course. A research group from Duquesne University was able to answer the reason for our sympathy. The team says this is largely due to genetic changes made by humans to domesticate them.
Research shows that with these genetic changes, dogs’ facial muscles have reached a level close to the ones we have. Thanks to these flexible muscles, they can raise their eyebrows to make their eyes look bigger, and they can make that unbearable facial expression. Especially since these muscles are much more flexible in puppies, facial expressions can be seen much more clearly. Moreover, they not only make these facial expressions, but they also have a much more unique ability than other creatures to understand humans. This shows that they can instinctively understand our mood and react in this way.
Although the bond between us and our canine friends goes back a long time, our friends, whose genetics people play with according to their wishes, do not always have beautiful features such as ‘cute facial expressions’. Examples include breathing difficulties in pugs and bulldogs, and heart conditions in many breeds. However, being aware of our friends’ special situations and being able to ignore some of their little mischief is also an indication of how strong our bond is.