NewsAnimalsYou might be reading your dogs moods wrongContext may lead people to misread canine emotions, a small study suggests Human perception of canine emotions is strongly influenced by the overall context, not just body language such as wagging tails or licking lips, a study shows. The finding suggests that people may misinterpret how a dog is feeling. Daniel Garrido/Moment/Getty Images PlusBy Gennaro Tomma36 seconds agoMany dog owners can tell how their precious pooch is feeling, watching it wag its tail or raise its ears at least, they think they can.But peoples perception of canine emotions may be strongly influenced by environmental context around the dog, researchers report March 10 in Anthrozos.Animal welfare scientist Holly Molinaro filmed her father interacting with his dog, Oliver, a 14-year-old pointer-beagle mix, in a variety of situations. She filmed the dog in positive ones, such as being played with or praised, and negative ones, such as being around a cat or reprimanded.