
So you are having a hard time saying no to your pooch's liquid brown, blue, amber, golden, hazel, odd eyed gaze are you? You're probably not alone, the phrase puppy dog eyes is around for a reason after all!
In a clever (and conscious?) evolutionary response to human preference, dogs have learned that certain facial expressions will cause their humans to relate to them with more compassion and favour. A study on canine Paedomorphic Facial Expressions provides fascinating insight into the progression of the domestication of wolves which preceeds the departure of the canine from the canid species.

According to Wikipedia, the domestic dog branched off from wolves approximately 15,000 y ears ago. Prior to that divergement, it is thought that wolves developed the ability to widen their eyes in an appealing pose in order to better their success with scavenging from the human species that was fast encroaching on wolf territory.
The incredibly intuitive ability to set its face in expressions which mimic juveniles, meaning both puppies AND humans, wolves were able to more effectively sustain their lives. When the canine species appeared, it apparently inherited this ability and has learned how to work those puppy dog eyes to its considerable advantage!
The incredibly intuitive ability to set its face in expressions which mimic juveniles, meaning both puppies AND humans, wolves were able to more effectively sustain their lives. When the canine species appeared, it apparently inherited this ability and has learned how to work those puppy dog eyes to its considerable advantage!

In research performed at 4 UK based dog shelters (Portsmouth City Dog Kennels, Wood Green, The Animals Charity and, The Dog's Trust), indicated that greater preference was given to dogs that with a high "cuteness factor". This means that dogs that were capable of approaching human adopters and generating a powerful puppy dog eyed face were more likely to be adopted than their shyer counterparts.
A staggering statistic supposes that depending on the strength of the facial expression, a dog could be adopted almost 50% faster, from 49 days down to 28 days. Additionally, and off topic, dogs with a high tail wag speed were documented as being slower to rehome.
With such incredibly scientific evidence with regards to puppy dog eyes, how do you think you'll do with resisting them? Think about it, that warm soft face on your thigh, eyebrows imploringly arched, eyes wide and beseeching, will science make a difference in your response? My guess is no, but feel free to comment below on your puppy dog eye experiences!
A staggering statistic supposes that depending on the strength of the facial expression, a dog could be adopted almost 50% faster, from 49 days down to 28 days. Additionally, and off topic, dogs with a high tail wag speed were documented as being slower to rehome.
With such incredibly scientific evidence with regards to puppy dog eyes, how do you think you'll do with resisting them? Think about it, that warm soft face on your thigh, eyebrows imploringly arched, eyes wide and beseeching, will science make a difference in your response? My guess is no, but feel free to comment below on your puppy dog eye experiences!