Apparently, making your dog happy might be even easier than we thought. A new study from the University of Vienna found that seeing a smiling human face activates the reward center in a dog’s brain in a way similar to getting a treat. Researchers showed dogs photos of people displaying different emotions, and only happy faces triggered that reward response — even when the smiling person was a complete stranger.
Dogs could also tell the difference between emotions like sadness and fear, which is another reminder of just how good they’ve become at reading us after thousands of years by our side. One researcher even suggested we should smile at random dogs we pass on the street because, in a small way, that happiness can actually be rewarding to them. Basically, your dog doesn’t just want the treat in your hand — they really do like seeing you happy, too.