AnimalFACS
DogFACS
A repository to access DogFACS information and documentation
What DogFACS is:
The Dog Facial Action Coding System (DogFACS) is a scientific observational tool for identifying and coding facial movements in domestic dogs. The system is based on the facial anatomy of dogs and has been adapted from the original FACS system used for humans created by Ekman and Friesen (1978). The DogFACS manual details how to use the system and code the facial movements of dogs objectively. The manual and certification is freely available (see below).
More info regarding the development of this FACS system can be found here:
What DogFACS isn’t:
DogFACS is not an ethogram of facial expressions, and does not make any inference about any underlying emotion or context causing the movement. Instead this is an objective coding scheme with no assumption about what represents a facial expression in this species. It will not explicitally teach you dog facial expressions
Useage of materials
Please note, you are not permitted to use any videos provided with the FACS manuals, or test, without written permitted from the owners. Please contact animalfacsuk@gmail.com if you wish to request permissions to use any materials.
Accessing the manual
The DogFACS Manual is freely available via the link below DogFACS Manual
The associated training videos can be accessed here. Training/Example Videos
Accessing the test
To become a certified DogFACS coder, we encourage you to take the associated test. The DogFACS test involves trainees to accurately code the facial movements in a series of video clips. There are currently two versions of the test; the advanced version includes head and eye movements AD51, AD52, AD53, AD54, AD55, AD56, AD61, AD62, AD63 and AD64.
The test can be accessed here: DogFACS Test materials
PLEASE FILL OUT THE FOLLOWING FORM TO SUBMIT YOUR TEST ANSWERS FOR CERTIFICATION. Note: a Google account is required.
Click here to begin certification test
Click here to begin advanced certification test (this version includes Head and Eye movements)
The people behind it
DogFACS was developed thanks to the joint effort of:
Bridget M. Waller, Department of Psychology, Nottingham Trent University. Juliane Kaminski, Centre for Comparative and Evolutionary Psychology, University of Portsmouth Anne M. Burrows, Department of Physical Therapy, Duquesne University Cátia Caeiro, School of Psychology, University of Lincoln, UK Kate Peirce, Centre for Comparative and Evolutionary Psychology, University of Portsmouth
Acknowledgments
The development of DogFACS was supported by a WALTHAM® Foundation Research Grant to Bridget Waller, Juliane Kaminski and Anne Burrows.
We would like to thank:
The Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology (and all participating dog owners) for allowing us to use their dogs footage, and Katrin Schumann who helped collect footage. The shelters for access to film their dogs: Portsmouth City Dog Kennels, Hilsea, UK; RSPCA Southridge Animal Centre, London, UK; Second Chance Animal Rescue, Southampton, UK; The Dog’s Trust, West London, UK; The Welfare of Stray Dogs Animal Shelter, Mumbai, India; Wood Green, The Animal’s Charity, Godmanchester, UK. Grace Cannell, Jenny Hynds and Linda Scheider for helpful comments on the manual. Inês Martins for drawing anatomical images. Alex Komechak, Alissa Zalneraitis, David Lum, Leanne Lanteigne, Michael Woon, Riley Burnham, Shaun Horne, Stuart Blacklock and Yashvin Awootar for permission to use their videos from www.youtube.com. The collaborators who helped with the reliability assessment of DogFACS, Jamie Whitehouse and Linda Scheid