Dogs Feel What We Feel: The Science of Empathy and Service Dogs

Empathy isn’t just a human trait—it’s deeply ingrained in the animal kingdom. From rodents helping trapped companions to elephants comforting distressed herd members, research has shown that many species are capable of understanding and responding to the emotions of others (Lahvis, 2016).

Dogs, however, take this to another level. Their unique bond with humans, combined with their remarkable ability to read body language and even detect chemical changes, makes them exceptional companions and life-saving service animals. But how does empathy in dogs work, and why is it so crucial for service dog work?

Dogs as Life-Saving Heroes

Dogs’ natural empathy has led to countless real-life examples of them saving lives, both trained and untrained.

🐾 Hero’s Protective Instinct: An Akita named Hero in Taber, Alberta, shielded his owner from freezing conditions after a fall, lying on him for nearly 24 hours to keep him warm until help arrived (YouTube).

🐾 Cuddles' Fire Alarm: A Chihuahua named Cuddles in Colorado alerted her family to a house fire by barking and jumping on a family member’s chest. Her actions woke the family, allowing them to escape safely—though Cuddles tragically did not survive (People.com).

🐾 Valentine’s Life-Saving Decision: Valentine, a psychiatric service dog in Illinois, had been trained to alert family members if his handler, Nancy, had a panic attack. One day, however, a shelf fell on Nancy, trapping her underneath. Though this was a very different situation from what he was trained for, Valentine recognized the emergency and ran to the emergency button, activating it to call for help. His ability to assess and act in an unexpected crisis is a perfect example of how service dogs don’t just follow commands—they think critically and respond with empathy.

These stories demonstrate that dogs don’t just react—they actively assess situations and take the best course of action to help their people.

Dogs Can Smell Medical Emergencies

Beyond emotional support, dogs’ empathy extends into life-saving abilities. Scientific research has confirmed that dogs can detect serious medical events like hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and seizures through changes in human body odor.

A 2019 study published in Scientific Reports found that dogs can reliably detect a distinct seizure odor—a groundbreaking discovery proving that seizures have a unique olfactory signature across different individuals and seizure types (Catala et al., 2019)​. This study was conducted using dogs from Medical Mutts Service Dogs, demonstrating that with proper training, dogs can consistently identify seizure-related scent changes. Their ability to do this opens the door for better seizure prediction and response, giving people with epilepsy more time to prepare and stay safe.

Similarly, studies on diabetic alert dogs have shown that dogs can detect blood sugar drops before a person even realizes it, allowing them to take action before a dangerous episode occurs. Jennifer Cattet, Ph.D., executive director of Medical Mutts, collaborated on this research, further proving that dogs can be successfully trained to recognize and respond to medical emergencies like hypoglycemia (Hardin et al., 2015).

This means that dogs trained in seizure and diabetic alert work aren’t just responding to visual cues—they are literally smelling an oncoming medical emergency. Their empathy and keen sense of smell make them powerful allies for individuals managing complex medical conditions.

Empathy in Action: How Service Dogs Help

Dogs trained as service animals use their natural empathy and scent-detection skills to provide vital support. Some of their life-changing tasks include:

❤️ Alerting to Medical Crises: Trained dogs can detect and alert to seizures, blood sugar fluctuations, or migraines, sometimes even before symptoms become obvious.

❤️ Pressing an Emergency Button: Medical alert dogs are trained to activate emergency systems by pressing a button that calls for help when their handler is incapacitated. This requires them to recognize a problem and take deliberate action.

❤️ Getting Help from Another Person: In some cases, dogs may press an alert button or physically go to another room to alert a family member that their person needs help. This requires them to understand that their handler is in distress and take action accordingly.

These abilities highlight the profound empathy and intelligence of dogs. They don’t just obey commands—they assess situations and make independent decisions to ensure their person’s safety.

Empathy and Emotional Sensitivity: Why Dogs Deserve Kindness

Dogs are not just highly skilled at detecting physical changes in humans—they are deeply emotional beings. Their empathy comes from an innate sensitivity to emotions, both in other dogs and in the people they love. Scientific studies have shown that dogs read human facial expressions, tone of voice, and even our scent to determine how we feel. This ability is what allows them to sense distress, provide comfort, and take action when their person is in trouble.

Because dogs are so emotionally attuned, they also experience a wide range of emotions themselves. They feel joy when they are loved and included, but they also experience stress, fear, and sadness when they are mistreated or neglected. Just as empathy makes them excellent service animals, it also means they are vulnerable to suffering if not treated with kindness and respect.

The Importance of Positive Training

Decades ago, dog training often relied on punishment-based methods that used force or intimidation to control behavior. However, research has since proven that positive reinforcement—not fear—is the key to effective and ethical training (Schneirla, 1959). When dogs are trained with kindness, they become more confident, engaged, and willing to learn. This is especially important for service dogs, who need to make decisions, think critically, and trust their handlers.

Dogs trained with punishment may still learn tasks, but they often experience anxiety, confusion, and fear. A dog that is afraid to make a mistake is a dog that won’t feel safe enough to problem-solve or act independently in an emergency.

A Bond Built on Trust

The relationship between a dog and their handler is not just about training—it is a bond based on trust, mutual understanding, and respect. Service dogs perform extraordinary tasks, but they do so because they care deeply about their person. They wake their handlers during nightmares, alert them to medical crises, and even put themselves in harm’s way to keep them safe. In return, they deserve to be treated not just as working animals, but as companions, friends, and emotional beings with their own needs and feelings.

By understanding and honoring a dog’s emotional world, we can ensure that the empathy they give so freely is met with the same level of compassion in return. Empathy is a two-way street—dogs give it to us, and we owe it to them in return.

References:

• Catala, A., Grandgeorge, M., Schaff, J-L., Cousillas, H., Hausberger, M., & Cattet, J. (2019). Dogs demonstrate the existence of an epileptic seizure odour in humans. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-40721-4

• Lahvis, G. P. (2016). Social Reward and Empathy as Proximal Contributions to Altruism: The Camaraderie Effect.

• Hardin, D. S., Anderson, W., & Cattet, J. (2015). Dogs Can Be Successfully Trained to Alert to Hypoglycemia Samples from Patients with Type 1 Diabetes. Diabetes Therapy, 6(4), 509-517.