A glance at your dog’s expectant face and wagging tail can brighten even the worst day. And when they’re sick, we hurt, too.
Now, a new study shows that this relationship runs both ways: Owners that experience long-term stress and anxiety can pass it on to their pooches.
“Dogs are quite good at understanding humans,” says senior author Lina Roth, a zoologist at Sweden’s Linkoping University. “They’re definitely better at understanding us than we are at understanding them.”
This skill has been honed over tens of thousands of years of living with humans. When dogs were first domesticated, individuals that could readily respond to humans—both their direct commands and their indirect body language—had a leg (or paw) up over their more wary and socially challenged counterparts.
With this, however, comes a potential downside: If we’re afraid, our dogs can become fearful as well.
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Stressed out
Some people are naturally more anxious and emotionally reactive, a trait called neuroticism. Roth hypothesized that an owner with self-reported anxiety could cause chronic stress in their pet.
The team recruited 58 dog-owner pairs in Sweden, including 33 Shetland sheepdogs and 25 border collies. The owners filled out questionnaires regarding their own personality traits and mental health as well as those of their pets.
To discern stress levels in both species over a period of several months, Roth and colleagues measured concentrations of the stress hormone cortisol in their hair and fur. (Read why dogs are even more like us than we thought.)
Cortisol naturally spikes during scary situations, but the chemical’s long-term effect is recorded in slow-growing hair and fur.
Roth’s team measured a whole range of variables, such as seasonal differences in activity levels and lifestyle, but the only one that corresponded to the dog’s anxiety level was their owner’s anxiety level. In other words, an owner with a high amount of cortisol in their hair also had a dog with a high amount of cortisol.
Interesting, the relationship didn’t work in the reverse direction: Roth found no evidence that anxious dogs created nervous owners, according to the study, published in the journal Scientific Reports on June 6. Instead, the dogs likely picked up on subtle changes such as differences in their owner's body odor and behaviors such as pacing, nail biting, and irritability.
A HISTORY OF DOGS 101
“At first, I was quite surprised at that. But for the dog, the owner is quite a big part of their everyday life, but the owner has the rest of their life out there,” Roth says.
Stanley Coren, a dog-behavior expert and an emeritus psychologist at the University of British Columbia, said the results support ongoing evidence that “dogs read our emotions, and they respond accordingly.”
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The new finding also doesn’t suggest anxious people shouldn’t adopt dogs—far from it, Coren says. (Read why dogs are so friendly.)
Although the researchers didn’t measure any long-term health effects of an owner’s anxiety on their pet, Coren urges owners to consider their own behaviors when trying to understand what’s going on in their pups.
Carrie Arnoldis a freelance science journalist and frequent contributor to National Geographic online.
FYI: To find an animal in need of a home; to find an animal shelter near you, check out https://www.petfinder.com
Remember, all types, ages, breeds, even purebreds are waiting to be adopted.
Thanks for visiting my blog for the animals. It's always great to connect with another animal lover. If you and I don't speak up for them, who will?
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Until next time….hug your animals. Tell them you love them. If you don’t have a pet, adopt one. Make adoption your first option when seeking a pet. Adopt. Don’t shop. Can’t adopt. Please consider fostering one. The animal will have the taste of home and the shelter will cover the expenses. Can’t foster? Make a donation or volunteer at your local shelter. Please, don’t hunt. Unless you’re starving down in a ditch somewhere, there is no logical reason to do so. Whatever you do, however you do it, please be a voice for the animals large and small. All it takes is one to make a difference, good or bad. Together, you and I can make a difference in an animal's life. I’m one for the animals. Are you? Thanks for visiting. Stay safe. Be strong. Be happy. Smile. Show compassion. Be nice to one another. Pass it onward. If you like what you see here, please consider signing up to become a follower. Please feel free to share this post with others.
Regards,
S.J. Francis
In Shattered Lies: "Good and bad, it's All About Family."
Available now from Black Opal Books and for sale at on-line retailers and independent booksellers.
And now for some legal stuff: Copyright 2018 by S.J. Francis. Opinions expressed here are solely those of the author, S. J. Francis and are meant to entertain, inform and enlighten, and intend to offend no one.
Make spare change make a difference for the wild. Join @CaringCent & purchases will be rounded & change
Your home is a safe space—a place where you and your family build memories and feel comfortable, relaxed and at peace. The same should be true for our pets.
But some cats may have a difficult time adjusting to your home, or they may experience stress due to a variety of situations such as moving, remodeling or entertaining company.
“Signs of stress include hiding for prolonged periods of time, decreased water and food intake, excess vocalizing, marking and gastrointestinal upset,” says Dr. Jim D. Carlson, holistic veterinarian and owner of Riverside Animal Clinic & Holistic Center located in Chicago's northwest suburbs.
Another sign of stress in your cat is overgrooming. Cats groom themselves not only to keep clean but also to comforh themselves.-SJ Francis
If your cat is displaying any of these symptoms, make sure to visit a veterinarian to rule out a medical condition. “It is very common for cats to change their behavior or begin to hide in response to illness,” Dr. Rachel Malamed, a Los Angeles-based veterinary behaviorist.
If your veterinarian gives your cat a clean bill of cat, but he is still displaying signs of stress or fear, try these six veterinarian-recommended tips:
Learn Cat Body Language
In order to help your cat adjust to certain stressful situations, you need to understand how he’s feeling. The best way to do this is by learning cat body language, says Malamed.
“Pet parents should have an understanding of feline body language and some of the more subtle cues that indicate stress,” she says. “Avoidance, aggression, crouched posture, ears flat or back and dilated pupils are just some indications of fear and stress.”
If your cat is displaying these behaviors, give him some space and slowly work on building positive associations with stressful situations through desensitization and counterconditioning methods.
“Creating positive associations can be used to try to promote a positive emotional response in association with a trigger,” says Malamed. “A veterinary behaviorist can help you work on some of these issues.”
Stick to a Routine
Humans enjoy daily routines to help keep their lives orderly and organized, and cats are similar. “Providing consistency is the key to reducing stress in an anxious cat through routine scheduling of feeding, litter box care and bonding time,” says Carlson.
Carlson adds that it’s helpful to set a consistent work schedule so that your cat gets accustomed to when you’ll be in and out of the house.
Provide Vertical Spaces
When cats feel threatened, climbing up on a cat tree, cat tower or cat shelves can help to alleviate that fear.
“Cats like to survey their environments from above and be on the lookout for prey and potential threats,” says Malamed. “For multi-cat households, where there may be inter-cat conflict, perches allow cats to get away or feel more safe when they are high up.”
Enrich Your Cat's Environment
Your home should provide your cat with plenty of opportunities to express normal feline behaviors, says Malamed.
“Enrichment has been shown to reduce stress in cats,” she says. “Provide ample toys, perches, scratching posts and other forms of enrichment so that they are less focused on stressors in the environment. Interactive feeding toys are recommended instead of bowls as this provides mental and physical stimulation.”
Provide a Quiet Space
Hiding behavior is common in scared cats, so pet parents should try to provide safe places for a cat to comfortably hide if the home environment becomes too overwhelming.
“Some cats like to be alone and prefer to go to their ‘safe’ place to unwind after a long kitty day,” says Carlson. “Set up this quiet space away from busy areas of the house. A small unused room is an ideal spot for them to have a private area with a perch, kitty condo, various toys and treats.”
While dedicating a room—like a laundry room or bathroom—to your cat is a nice gesture, your cat may be perfectly content with something simpler. “A simple cardboard box with holes in it is a great hiding spot for cats,” says Malamed. “There are also many cool furniture pieces that are aesthetically pleasing but are designed to provide cats with cozy hiding places.”
Try Calming Pheromones
If your cat is fearful, Malamed says that calming pheromones—used in conjunction with enrichment and desensitization and counterconditioning methods—may help cats feel more comfortable.
“Feline facial pheromones such as Feliway have been shown to help cats in stressful situations,” she says.
These products are available in easy-to-use diffusers and sprays that cat parents can distribute throughout the home for a calming effect.
FYI: To find an animal in need of a home; to find an animal shelter near you, check out https://www.petfinder.com
Remember, all types, ages, breeds, even purebreds are waiting to be adopted.
Thanks for visiting my blog for the animals. It's always great to connect with another animal lover. If you and I don't speak up for them, who will?
Coins That Count:
Is your coin jar overflowing? Turn that loose change into cash that helps animals by donating to The HSUS at participating Coinstar machines nationwide. Where to go» Find a Kiosk near you...
Until next time….hug your animals. Tell them you love them. If you don’t have a pet, adopt one. Make adoption your first option when seeking a pet. Adopt. Don’t shop. Can’t adopt. Please consider fostering one. The animal will have the taste of home and the shelter will cover the expenses. Can’t foster? Make a donation or volunteer at your local shelter. Please, don’t hunt. Unless you’re starving down in a ditch somewhere, there is no logical reason to do so. Whatever you do, however you do it, please be a voice for the animals large and small. All it takes is one to make a difference, good or bad. Together, you and I can make a difference in an animal's life. I’m one for the animals. Are you? Thanks for visiting. Stay safe. Be strong. Be happy. Smile. Show compassion. Be nice to one another. Pass it onward. If you like what you see here, please consider signing up to become a follower. Please feel free to share this post with others.
Regards,
S.J. Francis
In Shattered Lies: "Good and bad, it's All About Family."
Available now from Black Opal Books and for sale at on-line retailers and independent booksellers.
And now for some legal stuff: Copyright 2018 by S.J. Francis. Opinions expressed here are solely those of the author, S. J. Francis and are meant to entertain, inform and enlighten, and intend to offend no one.
Make spare change make a difference for the wild. Join @CaringCent & purchases will be rounded & change
“Some secrets should remain that way.”
“Some secrets should remain that way.”
