08/21/2025
🐶Try it with your dog 🐶
In people, mirroring plays a vital role in social interactions. Think of an interview where you are told to mirror the interviewer by using similar language or posture to build rapport. These are conscious actions.
Dogs mirror us too but in more emotional ways. They may copy a yawn or cry when we do. This emotional synchronisation shows empathy and helps strengthen bonds with us.
Research from the University of Pisa recorded 49 dogs at a park and found:
• Dogs mimic each other’s expressions and body movements in a split second.
• Dogs that mirrored more often played together longer.
• Dogs mirrored familiar dogs more than strangers, similar to how humans are influenced by friends.
This shows that rapid mimicry in dogs is automatic and a sign of empathy through body language.
Mirroring also plays a role in training:
• Dogs are attentive to our actions and often copy them.
• Training methods such as Do As I Do use this natural behaviour to improve learning and comprehension.
• Dogs learn faster when they can watch and copy.
By paying attention to subtle changes in our dogs’ expressions, posture, and movement we can:
• Recognise what is normal for them.
• Spot early signs of stress or tension.
• Prevent escalations with other dogs.
• Build deeper trust and connection.
✨ Mirroring is a powerful tool that helps dogs and humans create understanding, trust, and stronger bonds.
