Dogs: I Feel You

I Feel You

Scientists recently discovered that dogs are able to understand their owners’ feelings and empathize with them.

In a recent study, they found that dogs and their owners can experience synchronized emotions and stress levels, particularly in intense activities and situations.

“If the owner is stressed, then the dog is also likely to mirror that stress,” study lead author Lina Roth told NPR.

Roth and her team studied the personality traits and profiles of 58 dogs and their owners and took hair samples from both to analyze the stress-related hormone cortisol.

The results revealed that the canine cortisol levels matched with the personality traits of their owners, and this link was more present between owners and pets that compete together.

“When it comes to competing dogs, it could actually be that they spend more time together, and that this training could increase this emotional closeness,” Roth added.

Roth’s study primarily focused on two dog breeds and their female owners, and she hopes that future studies can reveal more how dogs and humans influence each other emotionally.

In the meantime, she suggested that owners shouldn’t feel worried if their stress levels affect their pooch.

“I don’t think you should be anxious that, if you’re stressed, you might harm your dog,” Roth said. “Instead, your dog is a social support for you, and you are a social support for the dog.”