Dogs Affected By Human Stress

Dogs Smell Human Stress and Catch the Blues

New research suggests that dogs may be able to smell human stress and that this scent may trigger a similar emotional effect.

The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, found that dogs exposed to the scent of human stress showed increased levels of cortisol, a hormone associated with stress.

The researchers believe that this is the first evidence that dogs can experience emotional contagion, or the ability to catch the emotions of others. The findings suggest that dogs may be more sensitive to human emotions than previously thought.

“Our study provides the first evidence that dogs can experience emotional contagion from the smell of human stress,” said lead author Clara Wilson, a PhD student at Queen’s University Belfast.

“This suggests that dogs may be more sensitive to human emotions than we thought, and it highlights the importance of considering the emotional well-being of our dogs when we are stressed.”

The study involved 36 dogs that were exposed to the scent of human stress, either from a stranger or from their owner. The dogs’ cortisol levels were measured before and after exposure to the scent.

The results showed that dogs exposed to the scent of human stress had significantly higher levels of cortisol than dogs that were not exposed to the scent. This suggests that the scent of human stress may trigger a stress response in dogs.

The researchers also found that dogs that were exposed to the scent of human stress from their owner showed a greater increase in cortisol levels than dogs that were exposed to the scent of human stress from a stranger.

This suggests that dogs may be more sensitive to the stress of their owners than to the stress of strangers.

The findings have implications for the relationship between humans and dogs. They suggest that dogs may be able to pick up on our stress, even when we are not aware of it.

This could be important for people who live with dogs, as it may help them to better understand their dog’s behavior and to provide them with the support they need.