Dogs are affected by their owner’s mood

Dogs and their owners’ heart rates and emotional states strongly influence each other, according to a new Finnish study from the University of Jyväskylä. Researchers confirm that dogs mirror their owners’ emotions, whether they are relaxed or stressed.

The study, published in Scientific Reports, involved 29 dogs and their owners where researchers measured heart rate variability (HRV) and activity levels during rest, as well as various positive activities such as cuddling, exercise, play and sniffing. HRV measures how the time between heartbeats varies and can show, for example, how relaxed or stressed you are, both in animals and humans. For example, a higher HRV value indicates relaxation, while a lower one may indicate stress. The owners were also asked to fill in a questionnaire about their personality and their relationship with the dog.

The researchers found that there was a clear interaction between the dog and the owner’s HRV. For example, the dog became more relaxed if the owner relaxed, but also stressed if the owner became stressed. The dog also influenced its owner’s state. The dog’s heart rate was shown to have a greater effect on its owner’s heart rate than the owner’s own physical condition, such as weight or age.

– It was found that if the dog or the owner was stressed or excited, so was the other party. When one was relaxed, both were relaxed, researcher Aija Koskela told Finnish public broadcaster Yle.

The dogs and their owners’ heart rate variations were generally found to be linked, regardless of activity. But mainly the owner and the dog were influenced by each other during “free activity”, such as resting. The dog’s HRV was influenced by its size, how long it lived with the owner, the owner’s temperament and their interaction.

Koskela points out that the study clearly confirms that the owner’s emotional state also influences the dog’s well-being, which can be valuable for dog owners to know. This type of co-regulation between dog and owner is reminiscent of the interaction seen in close human relationships, where both behavior and physiological responses are synchronized between the parties.

– We often talk about what dogs give us or how it affects us. It would be good to also remember our responsibility for the dog and how our mood affects the animal, says Koskela.