Dogs may be impacted by owners’ stress

A study by researchers at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) shows that dogs’ stress levels are influenced by how stressed their owners are.

“The experience of stress, especially chronic stress, can have a negative impact on a dog’s behavior and welfare,” the study states.

The study investigated whether changes in owners’ stress levels affected dogs’ stress levels, such as during veterinary visits.

And while vet visits are important to keep dogs healthy, “confinement, anxiety, pain, and loss of autonomy can also cause acute stress,” the study said.

The study, conducted at a veterinary hospital in Dublin, involved 28 dogs and their owners.

Ten of the dogs were male and 18 were female, and their ages ranged from 1 to 17 years.

Half of the owners performed breathing meditation exercises designed to reduce stress levels and help them relax during the study.

As part of this, I also read affirmations such as “My dog ​​brings me joy” and “I take care of my dog.”

The other half of the owners underwent a “digital stress test” which can cause moderate stress.

Many dog ​​walkers in Ormeau Park, south Belfast, said their dogs were like sponges for the energy around them.

“If the owner is in a bad mood, the dog reacts and usually becomes a little mischievous,” said Ivan Armstrong, handing his black poodle a bowl of water.

“If we’re all so nice and gentle, then so is she,” he added.

“They’re social animals, so if you’re stressed, they’re stressed,” said a woman named Sonia with two rescue animals.

“They understand everything. It comes naturally to them. If everyone’s laughing, they’ll come to play, and if someone’s upset, they’ll come too.”

Geraldine and Claire were out walking their dog Daisy.

They felt like Daisy was very responsive to their moods, rather than reflecting them.

“I think this dog is very smart,” Claire said.

“Sometimes when you’re frustrated, the dog will come and lie on top of you and it will help you.”

Darren said he and his dog Ted were good friends.

“If the atmosphere in the house is depressed or something is going on between my wife and I, the dog definitely senses that.”

The owner and dog were fitted with heart rate monitors to monitor changes in heart rate.

Video footage was also collected to assess whether the dog’s behavior had changed.

This study suggested that changes in owners’ stress levels can lead to changes in dogs’ stress levels, and that dogs respond to their owners’ stress.

Changes in the owner’s heart rate “significantly predicted” changes in the dog’s heart rate.

“This result is consistent with our hypothesis that changes in owner stress levels influence dog stress,” the paper states.

“Changes in stress levels in humans can have an innate and immediate impact on physiological stress indicators in dogs.

“Developing strategies to reduce owner stress in veterinary settings may reduce owner stress, which in turn may reduce dog stress.”

The results also suggest that giving dogs time to get used to seeing a veterinarian and not rushing them through the test may reduce the fear and stress they feel. also suggested.

“This study highlights the importance of giving dogs time to become accustomed to the clinic environment, thereby reducing the physical examinations and diagnostics performed, in order to reduce the stress dogs experience in these environments. “The accuracy of the analysis may be improved,” the study said.

The vet also recommended that dog owners try to reduce the stress they experience, which can also help dogs.

However, the researchers acknowledged that the number of dogs and owners who participated was small due to time constraints in the study.

The research was carried out by veterinarians Aoife Byrne and Dr Gareth Arnott from QUB’s School of Biological Sciences and was published in the Journal of Applied Animal Behavior Science.

Speaking on the BBC’s Good Morning Ulster programme, Ms Byrne said as a result of the research she was advising veterinary hospitals to “do more to gain experience”. [of visiting the vet] This reduces stress for both the owner and the dog. ”

He highlighted that the study found that dogs’ heart rates tend to decrease over time as they become accustomed to new surroundings.

“I think this is really important because veterinary appointments are often very short and everyone is under pressure. I think there needs to be a real incentive to slow everything down.” she said.

“As veterinarians, what we measure is heart rate. If a dog’s heart rate is elevated because it’s stressed, that reading may not necessarily reflect how the dog is doing on a day-to-day basis. There is a sex.”

Canine behavior consultant Al Rankin cites emotional contagion and scent as key factors in dogs’ ability to detect stress in their owners.

Emotional contagion means that one’s emotions and words affect others.

Al added: “There are many reasons to point to why stress levels in dogs are correlated with those in humans, but all of these reasons are still not fully understood.

“But dogs have an excellent sense of smell and can sniff out pheromones that humans release when they’re stressed.”

Al added that dogs “get to know their owners over time” and can tell when they’re stressed.

He said dogs exhibit “stress response behaviors” such as lip licking, panting, restlessness and poor sleep quality that can have “adverse effects” on their health.