Your Dog Might Be Copying You More Than You Think, Even When You’re Not in the Room

If you’re a dog-lover, you must be aware that dogs have always been recognized as being able to understand human behavior. But, to our surprise, recent studies have shown that the social intelligence of dogs could be much more advanced than previously thought.

Well, this includes their ability to understand what is seen on a screen.


A study published in 2024 in the journal Biologia Futura found that dogs are able to imitate human behavior after watching videos of a human doing something, which goes against previous assumptions of how animals process visual information.

Dogs are able to see a human perform an action on a screen, as per the studies, and then perform the same action in real life. This indicates that dogs are able to process two-dimensional images as a source of information.

So, do they have incredible social skills?

Reading Human Behavior While Foraging

Studies of free-ranging dogs also provide insight into the level of reliance of dogs on human behavior, apart from controlled experiments. A 2025 study published on arXiv showed that dogs have a strong preference for food items that humans appear to eat.

This implies that dogs are capable of interpreting human behavior for decision-making.

This, as per the arXiv study (2025), is a social referencing behavior, enabling dogs to make decisions in a more efficient manner. This happens especially in a situation where the availability of food sources is uncertain, as in the case of dogs living in urban areas and interacting closely with humans.

Another study carried out by an arXiv article in 2025 on Indian free-ranging dogs showed that the dogs were able to successfully locate hidden food items only when both the gestures of pointing and looking were used.

Training Through Imitation

The American Kennel Club describes a technique called the “Do As I Do” technique, which enables the dog to learn and mimic a set of actions performed by the owner.

This technique, as described by the American Kennel Club, utilizes the concept of observational learning, where the dog is able to make a connection between the word and the action it has been shown.

Dogs also demonstrate mimicking behaviors for human vocalizations, even if they do not accurately mimic words.

According to a study by the Institute for Environmental Research and Education, dogs try to mimic the rhythm and tone of human speech. This is a result of their sensitivity to sound.

The Brain Behind the Behavior

The biological basis of these skills might be rooted in the way the canine brain has developed alongside human beings.

Studies discussed in an article in Scientific American point to the fact that dogs have specialized areas of the brain that process vocal sounds and emotional information, especially those associated with human communication.

Taken as a whole, these studies suggest a level of social intelligence in dogs that is more than simply training and instinct, but rather a level of observation, interpretation, and mimicry of human behavior that continues to amaze scientists.

Their ability to learn from what is essentially a screen, and to interpret multiple signals, would suggest a level of perception in dogs that is much higher than is generally granted.

This is not only a growing level of research into the minds of canine friends, but it also opens the door to a number of possibilities in a world where interaction with technology is becoming more and more a part of our lives.