Dogs have an excellent sense of smell, which they use to do multiple things such as detect food, find a suitable mate, and even sense human emotions such as happiness or fear. When exposed to the odor of human fear, dogs can become stressed.
Art by Kristina Leslie, Instagram @tinaleslie_ & fact by Nicole Rodrigues, Twitter @n3rodrigues
[Edited by Nicole Rodrigues]
Reference:
D’Aniello, B., Semin, G. R., Alterisio, A., Aria, M., & Scandurra, A. (2018). Interspecies transmission of emotional information via chemosignals: from humans to dogs (Canis lupus familiaris). Animal cognition, 21(1), 67–78. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-017-1139-x