Researchers reported that dogs blink more often when their owners blink.

Previous studies have shown that dogs use puppy‑eye expressions when humans look at them and can distinguish happy faces from angry or sad expressions.

In a controlled experiment, the team observed 24 dogs and their owners over several weeks. Dogs increased their blink rate by about 22% after owners blinked, compared with baseline measurements. The effect was consistent across multiple sessions. No differences were observed related to breed or age.

The result highlights a new aspect of social behavior in dogs and suggests further study of human‑dog communication.