Our Stress, Is our Dogs Stress!!!
Posted by Russell Gibbons on 10th Jun 2019
A recent scientific study published in Nature.com has shown proof that long term stress in us as humans, can also be mirrored, or adopted, in our pet dogs.
Mirroring of stresses is not a new concept.
For a long time, it has been known that humans can pick-up and mirror, another person’s stress when they live in close proximity to another person, such as when families are living in the same house.
How is this measured? By measuring the cortisol within ones body.
It is proven that one person experiencing a certain level of stress, or anxiety, can have a direct affect on another person’s stress levels, even though that other person may not be directly experiencing that particular stress event.
Essentially, we are affected by another person’s stress.
Until now, however, it has only been known to affect social animals within the same species…… (ie: Human to human)..... This photo might even stress you just by looking at it!!!!
This study proves that it happens also between differing species.
In this case, between highly social animals such as humans, and their pet dogs!
The studies have examined the cortisol levels within people and their dogs, and have shown that when the owners stress levels rise over a certain amount of time, which raises their Cortisol levels, so too do the Cortisol levels in their pet dogs.
Essentially, it shows that stress can be contagious……. It can even happen from dog to human…. Albeit a lot weaker of an influence.
This is especially true when dogs are competing at an event, and their owners feel the same anxious emotions as the dog does, even though it is the dogs who are actually competing…. Not the owners.
Interestingly however, the study did show that it is far more influencing from human to puppy rather than the opposite way around.
This make sense when one considers that dogs are now so intertwined in our lives that they see and experience every part of our day.
So what does all this mean?
Well, it simply puts our lives into perspective and shows the consequences of our actions, and of our feelings, over other souls living around us in close proximity….
It probably tells us that we should be mindful that our behavior, and our feelings, affect our pets a lot more than most of us understand.
Long term stress for us as humans can have negative affects, and now that we know that our pets mirror this stress, then one could make an assumption that this stress will also have negative health affects upon our pet dogs over the long term as well…..
As such, and knowing that this is based on science, we need to learn to manage our own stress even more……
Thus, having a positive outcome for both ourselves and our pets!!!!
Less stress for us, means less stress for our pets, which means happier, healthier lives for us all!!!!
That is a prime example of information providing us with an opportunity to have a Win-Win all around!!!!
Perhaps we should focus more on smelling the roses???
Hope this helps and give you something of interest to contemplate?
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Have a great week from all the team here @ Huds and Toke and chill out!
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