Spending time with a dog can help to relieve stress: study

pet

by alexandra klausner

no Urf-Im kidding.

Anyone who owns a dog can tell you that dogs reduce stress, and now a new study backs that up.

Researchers at Konkuk University in South Korea found that spending time with a dog can help you relax and improve your concentration.

Regarding this research, pro swanexperts recruited 30 adults and had their brain waves measured via electrode headsets while they interacted with an adorable poodle named Aro.

They performed eight activities with Aro for three minutes each: meeting, walking, playing, feeding, hugging, massaging, and taking pictures.

Researchers found that walking a dog makes people more relaxed, brushing a dog improves participants’ concentration, and playing with a dog provides all of the above.

When playing with toys that made aro noises, the researchers found that alpha brain waves, which are associated with relaxation, became stronger. When I took her for a walk on a park path, alpha waves were also generated.

When participants brushed or massaged their dogs, they produced more beta brain waves, which correlate with concentration.

Researchers also asked people how they felt after each activity with Alo, and all reported feeling less stressed and depressed.

All participants said that holding Aro and giving him treats made him feel better.

“This study demonstrated that certain activities in dogs can stimulate greater relaxation, emotional stability, alertness, concentration, and creativity by promoting increased brain activity.” write the study authors.

This isn’t the first study to show that spending time with dogs is good for people’s mental health.

2022 research published in International Journal of Psychophysiology Spending just 20 minutes with an animal was found to reduce cortisol, a stress hormone, and increase oxytocin, a hormone associated with love and bonding.

Another study found that dog owners over the age of 45 were 40% less likely to develop dementia.