Perhaps you already had the suspicion and even more than that, you were practically sure. Now a study carried out by scientists from the Swedish University of Linköping and published in Nature.com confirms this and is that, indeed, when you are stressed for some reason, your dog also gets stressed, although he does not even know why. In fact, in the vast majority of dogs that participated in the study, the level of the hormone cortisol, which is taken as an indicative measure of physiological stress, was equal to that of their owners, rising and falling at the same rate as that of your human.
Fifty-eight were the dogs that participated in the study. Of them 33 were Shetland Sheepdogs and 25 were Border Collies. The canids selected by the Swedish researchers were balanced by sex, race and activity level.
Both the dog’s and owner’s personality were assessed using standardized personality questionnaires , and the owners filled out the Dog Personality Questionnaire on behalf of their pet.
The researchers also measured the cortisol present in the dogs ‘ and their owners’ hair for a year. As we have already discussed, cortisol is an indication of physiological stress, which can increase during mental anguish. But it also rises for short periods, for example during exercise and when we are sick. It can be measured in the hair because this, as it grows, absorbs the substances that circulate in the blood.
The results showed a significant correlation between cortisol levels in humans and dogs throughout the year.
In 57 of the dogs in summer and 55 in winter, cortisol levels were the same as their owners . This means that these dogs’ cortisol levels rose and fell along with their owner’s.
However, this correlation is not related to the dog’s activity level or its personality, but is influenced by the owner’s personality. Owners with higher stress levels tended to have dogs with higher stress levels.
Another of the results of the study has to do with the sex of the animal and is that the bitches were more vulnerable to the stress level of their owner compared to the dogs. Not surprisingly, previous studies have shown that female dogs, as well as rats and chimpanzees, are more emotionally sensitive than males. There is also evidence that increased oxytocin (the hormone of love and bonding) in female dogs results in increased interactions with their owner, causing a corresponding increase in the owner’s oxytocin levels. This effect was not observed in male dogs.
Dogs and humans are linked by a close bond that dates back 15,000 years . There is evidence to suggest that the four-legged ones evolved alongside us and, as a consequence, are in tune with our emotions. This, which can clearly be translated into an advantage, can become a nuisance for the animal when its owner lives on a roller coaster of emotions or is stressed.
When we think about the welfare of our dog, most of the time, we are left only to provide food, drink, a roof to shelter, veterinary care and walks to stretch the legs and go to the bathroom. And your mental well-being? Do we fall into it? Are we aware that, sometimes, with our attitude we can generate mental discomfort to the animal?
If we see it from another perspective, more than taking advantage of the situation and not staying in the negative, this evidence allows us to increase the well-being of our pet because we will know that our stress will also affect it and, if we care, we will do something to avoid suffering. Since this also works in reverse, our emotion of joy will also be passed on to them .
Why are you no longer going to get carried away so easily by your emotion of stress? Every time you start to experience it, think about your dog. He does not deserve it.
