Anxiety is a common mental and emotional condition experienced by many people. It can manifest itself in a variety of ways, from physical symptoms such as headaches, sweating, and fatigue, to more psychological symptoms like constant worrying and a racing mind. But, can our furry four-legged friends sense our anxiety? In today’s blog post, we will explore this question and discuss how our canine companions may be able to pick up on our feelings of anxiety. We will look into the potential ways in which dogs can detect our anxious states, and provide tips on how to help keep our dogs calm and stress-free in tense situations. From the science behind canine empathy to tips on recognizing anxiety in our pets, this blog post will offer a comprehensive look at the complex connection between humans and their dogs.
What Happens When Dogs Feel Anxious?
If you feel anxious around your dog, especially, you should be on the lookout for several symptoms of anxiety in dogs.
When a dog is anxious, they may chew on household objects, have accidents despite being housebroken, lick or chew on their own paws or skin, bark or whine, pace, scratch, attempt to flee, or exhibit physiological reactions like dilated pupils, shaking, and excessive panting.
Instead of just experiencing anxiety generally, your dog may have an anxiety disorder if you notice these symptoms on a regular basis.
The problem can go from bad to worse when dogs react to anxious humans and become anxious, themselves. For example, a person who’s anxious or fearful around dogs might tense up and stare.
Dogs may interpret this as a challenge and become fearful and defensive in this position. This is when incidents can happen.
In fact, a study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health suggests that less emotionally stable people are more likely to be bitten by dogs. This is a correlation, not a causation, but it’s possible that anxious behaviors lead dogs to feel more anxious and respond with fear or aggression.
So, if you’re anxious, consider the effects it might have on your dog and take action to calm yourself down.
Season (cortisol levels were higher in the winter) and sex (female dogs had higher cortisol concentrations than male dogs) were also apparent influences on cortisol levels.
From samples cut close to the skin, hair cortisol concentrations were measured twice: once in the summer and once in the winter. The dogs’ cortisol levels in both samples “synchronized” with those of their owners.
These results may aid in future studies and understanding of how emotional support or service animals can most effectively enhance human health.
The study, which was published in the journal Scientific Reports, included 58 dogs, 25 border collies and 33 Shetland sheepdogs, and their exclusively female owners.
Pet therapy
The new research also doesn’t imply that fearful people shouldn’t get dogs; on the contrary, says Coren (Read why dogs are so friendly. ).
In fact, the presence of a dog just might help frazzled humans relax: The Anxiety Disorders Association of America recommends adopting a pet as a potential way to cope with the stressors of everyday life. Medical research has also shown being around dogs can lower blood pressure.
Coren advises owners to take into account their own behaviors when attempting to understand what is going on in their puppies, even though the researchers did not measure any long-term health effects of an owner’s anxiety on their pet.
FAQ
What do dogs do when they sense your anxiety?
They are undoubtedly more adept at comprehending us than we are at doing the same for them. When you exhibit anxiety-related behaviors in your dog, such as nail biting, pacing, or irritability, Roth explained, they’ll probably pick up on and mirror your emotions, even if you’re not aware of it.
Can dogs sense depression and anxiety?
On that note, research indicates that dogs can detect depression, and many of them will even react affectionately to their owners in an effort to lift their spirits. Dogs pay attention to our actions in the same way that we do to their behavior in order to gauge our current “energy”