Dogs have lost some of their communication skills as a result of domestication.
Dogs have lost some of their communication skills
Researchers have revealed that man's best friend was once as expressive as their wolf ancestors but these communication abilities have dwindled over the years.
A team from Durham University used a 'Dog Facial Action Coding System' to assess video recordings of both captive wolves and domestic dogs during spontaneous interactions and responses to stimuli such as squeaky toys.
The scientists were able to identify nine separate emotional states with 71 per cent accuracy in the wolves' facial movements but this figure dropped to 65 per cent for domesticated pooches across various breeds.
Elana Hobkirk, lead author of the study from the university's Department of Biosciences, said: "This study demonstrates how important it is to be able to observe fine details in behaviour.
"Such observations have allowed us to see just how communicatively complex and sentient wolves are and how domestication may be affecting our social bonds with our companion dogs."