Dogs reduce stress responses

Studies increasingly show that dog owners display fewer physiological responses to stress when they are with their pets. The unconditional support they receive from their dogs has consequences on their psychology and physiology.

Dogs offer predictable and trustworthy companionship

Evangeline Wheeler, a psychology professor at Towson University in Maryland, explains that "our dog companions are predictable and trustworthy. The unconditional love we get from them gives us the feeling of being safe." She notes that dogs do not judge or criticize, but instead "sit and look at us with eyes full of love."

Dogs may calm more than humans

The silent encouragement from dogs can have a calming effect when someone is anxious or under pressure, sometimes more than the presence of a friend or a romantic partner. In a study published in the scientific journal Psychosomatic Medicine, scientists tested some people accompanied by a dog or by a spouse or a friend. They had to either perform mental calculations or endure a cold test during which their hand was immersed in ice water. The study revealed that the blood pressure and heart rate of those accompanied by their dog increased less than those accompanied by their partner or a friend.

Dogs help improve mood during stress

In a 2023 study published in the journal Emotion, people had to face stressful situations that involved adding numbers that appeared very quickly on a screen and then interact with their dog, do coloring, or wait in silence for ten minutes. The people who interacted with their animal showed a better improvement in their mood and reported less stress than those who were waiting or trying to relax by coloring.

Dogs offer non-judgmental support

Hannah Raila, a psychologist and assistant professor of psychology at the University of California at Santa Cruz, explains that "your dog offers you non-judgmental social support. You know that it does not judge you for your stress or because you are afraid." She notes that if a dog is sitting with you wagging its tail, you can derive positive emotions from it.

Dogs reduce stress during challenging tasks

In a similar study published in the scientific journal Society and Animals, researchers asked 223 people to undergo the "Trier Social Stress Test" (TSST). The participants had to speak in front of a group of people and then perform mental calculations for which they were not prepared. The people in front of whom the participants took the test had to remain impassive. The presence of a dog during the TSST made the experience less stressful, the participants were less anxious, as shown by their blood pressure and heart rate.

Dogs allow honest emotional connections

Lori Kogan, a clinical psychologist and professor at the School of Clinical Sciences at the Public University of the State of Colorado, explains that "there is a certain raw honesty that we can have with our dog that we cannot have with other people." She notes that "we accept them exactly as they are, and they do the same for us, never failing."

Talking to dogs provides emotional grounding

Talking to your dog during the day is a common behavior. You discuss what each of you is doing, how cute they are, or the little things they do. It is a pleasant way to remember what matters in daily life. Larry Young, a specialist in social neuroscience and professor of psychiatry at Emory University, says that "when you talk to your dog, you feel like you understand your place in life, no matter what is happening at work or your financial problems, your dog always loves you, needs you, and this gives you a sense of purpose."

Dogs help people confide in emotions

Research has found that confiding in your dog about your emotional troubles can be particularly beneficial. During a study published in 2018 in the journal Anthrozoös, researchers found that people were more likely to confide in their dog about complicated emotions, such as depression, jealousy, anxiety, apathy, and fear, than with their romantic partner or friends.

Dogs listen without judgment

Daniel Mills, co-author of the study, a specialist in human-animal relationships and professor of behavioral medicine at the University of Lincoln in the United Kingdom, explains that "animals are kind, they listen to us without judging us because they do not interrupt us and do not respond." He notes that a dog will not try to find a solution to a problem like some people do.

Expressing emotions reduces their intensity

Expressing emotions is not a trivial act, especially for the most disturbing ones. Studies have shown that expressing emotions through words makes negative feelings less intense, both subjectively and neurologically, by calming the amygdala response, the amygdala, a brain structure involved in fear, anxiety, and other intense emotions.

Dogs provide a safe emotional space

The relationship between a dog and its owner is a space where one feels safe, precisely because the dog will not make any judgment and will not disagree. Daniel Mills says that "humans need to talk, and being able to articulate their state of mind can play a big role in resolving emotions." He adds that "by verbalizing them, we begin to understand them instead of watching them drift in our heads. Expressing [these emotions] helps us move forward. It is quite liberating."

Dogs avoid rumination and offer distraction

Another advantage is that a dog will not engage in a conversation about what troubles us, which could lead us to ruminate. It is more likely that they will offer a distraction. Daniel Mills continues that "dogs influence our emotions in a particular way." Their desire to play does not match our dark or angry moods.

Dogs increase oxytocin levels

By interacting with your dog, your levels of oxytocin increase for both of you. It is not for nothing that it is often called "the love hormone." It also calms the short-term stress response, says Larry Young.

Dogs help during work breaks

A study published in 2022 in the journal International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health supports this phenomenon. It revealed that when you play with your dog while working from home, your self-regulation resources are replenished; by interacting with a dog during micro-breaks, you are relaxed and refreshed, more and better than if you communicated with human family members.

Dogs understand human emotions well

Lori Kogan says that "dogs read us in a fantastic way, they know we are not well and they are undoubtedly better at understanding others than we are." She adds that "because we assume that dogs know us so well, we regulate ourselves so they do not feel bad, which also helps us." It is a virtuous circle.