One Of The Most Loving Dog Breeds Is Particularly Adept At Knowing When You're Sad

Researchers have established that many dogs can recognize human emotions like grief, offering comfort in times of sadness or distress. When you're happy or sad, they literally see and hear you better than most. However, when it comes to breeds that are skilled at providing comfort, few can compare to the golden retriever.

Known for their unwavering devotion and affectionate nature, these pups have a unique ability to tune into their humans' feelings. This exceptional trait isn't coincidental: Golden retrievers have been shaped by centuries of selective breeding, imbuing in them an inherent social nature that makes them particularly empathetic companions.

Historically, the breed was popularized in 19th-century Scotland to assist hunters in retrieving game birds (hence the name). This role required them to work closely with humans, fostering traits like responsiveness and attentiveness, while helping them form a strong bond with their handlers. Over time, these qualities evolved into the remarkable emotional intelligence they're known for today.

The golden retriever's affectionate and loyal nature is deeply rooted in their history, genetic traits, and what researchers term "instinctive intelligence", or what the dog is bred to do. This is one of three types of dog intelligence, with the others being "adaptive" and "working/obedient". This intuitive ability to detect emotional shifts is clearly observable in how golden retrievers respond to their human families. These dogs often follow their owners from room to room, greet them enthusiastically after even short absences, and lean in for physical closeness during moments of distress. Also scoring high on "working/obedient" intelligence, golden retrievers respond exceptionally well to positive reinforcement training. This makes them highly teachable and capable of forging strong bonds with humans.

These factors make them ideal candidates for therapy and service roles. Indeed, research has shown that therapy dogs, including golden retrievers, can positively impact human health by reducing stress and improving mood. For instance, one study from Rakuno Gakuen University published in the 2023 issue of the journal Animals found that interactions with therapy dogs may cause humans to experience lower blood pressure and decreased levels of stress hormones, contributing to overall emotional well-being.