The Unexpected Connection Between Canine Companions and Your stress Levels! Uncover the Shocking Connection!
Dogs and Owners Share Long-Term Stress Levels, Study Finds
A groundbreaking study conducted by Lina Roth and her team at Linköping University in Sweden has revealed a fascinating connection between dogs and their owners: long-term stress levels are synchronized through shared cortisol levels, a hormone linked to stress.
The study, published in Scientific Reports, focused on competition dogs and their owners, due to the stronger bonds formed during training. Over the course of six months, the researchers monitored 25 Border Collies and 33 Shetland Sheepdogs alongside their respective owners. Cortisol levels were measured from human hair samples and dog fur samples for analysis.
The findings suggest that dogs essentially "catch" their owners' stress over time. Owners with higher neuroticism tendencies, which correlate with increased stress, tended to have dogs with elevated cortisol levels. This indicates that the dogs' stress levels closely mirror their owners' personalities rather than their own activities or social environment.
When owners experience stress-related symptoms like irritability, reduced playtime, inconsistent routines, or emotional withdrawal, their dogs often show corresponding stress reactions such as anxiety, fearfulness, behavioral problems, and increased vigilance.
This biological and psychological connection highlights the importance of managing owner's stress for the health and well-being of both parties. Shihan Li, David Krackhardt, and Nynke M. D. Niezink's six-month study, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, supports this notion, stating that stress is contagious.
However, it's important to note that while dogs may unintentionally pick up on their owner's stress signals, staying with them remains most beneficial, according to Lina Roth. This research sheds light on the implications for the bond between humans and their pets, emphasizing the need for stress management strategies that benefit both the pet and the owner.
It's worth mentioning that while the study focused on competition dogs, household pets were not excluded. The synchronization of stress levels was more pronounced among competition dogs, possibly due to the stronger bonds formed during training.
In a separate study, it was found that female mice are better at managing received stress signals compared to male mice. This finding suggests that the transmission of stress across species might not be a one-way street, and further research is needed to fully understand this fascinating phenomenon.
The study on dogs and owners shows that long-term stress levels can be synchronized due to shared cortisol levels, which is a hormone linked to stress, implying that dogs essentially "catch" their owners' stress over time. Furthermore, this research underscores the importance of managing owner's stress for the health and well-being of both parties, as stress is contagious and affects not only the mental health of owners but also the behavior of their pets.
