Did you know that your stress could make your dog feel sad too?
New research from the University of Bristol has found that the smell of human stress can affect dogs’ emotions, making them more likely to expect negative outcomes.
This study, published in Scientific Reports, is the first to look at how human stress odors impact dogs’ feelings and learning.
We know from previous studies that humans can pick up on stress through smell, which can influence their emotions and decisions.
But what about dogs? Researchers at Bristol Veterinary School wanted to see if dogs also change their behavior in response to human stress or relaxation smells.
To find out, the team conducted tests to see if dogs felt more ‘optimistic’ or ‘pessimistic.’ They trained 18 dogs to recognize that a food bowl in one location always had a treat, while a bowl in another location was always empty.
Once the dogs learned this, they would quickly go to the bowl with the treat and avoid the empty one.
Next, the researchers introduced new bowl locations between the two original spots. If a dog quickly approached these new spots, it showed ‘optimism,’ thinking there might be food. A slow approach indicated ‘pessimism,’ expecting the bowl to be empty.
These trials were done with different smells in the air: no odor, human sweat and breath samples from stressed people (who had taken an arithmetic test), and from relaxed people (who had listened to calming sounds).
The results were clear. When the stress smell was present, dogs were slower to approach the new bowl locations near the empty bowl.
This didn’t happen with the relaxed smell. This means the stress smell made the dogs more pessimistic, expecting no food in the new bowls.
Interestingly, the dogs also learned faster about which bowls had food and which didn’t when the stress smell was around. This could mean that the dogs were more focused or cautious due to the stress odor.
Dr. Nicola Rooney, a Senior Lecturer in Wildlife and Conservation at Bristol Veterinary School and the study’s lead author, said, “Understanding how human stress affects dogs’ well-being is important for dogs in kennels and training.
Dog owners know how sensitive their pets are to their emotions, and we showed that even the smell of a stressed, unfamiliar person can affect a dog’s mood and learning.”
Dr. Zoe Parr-Cortes, a Ph.D. student and primary author of the study, thanked everyone involved, especially the dog owners and participants. She highlighted the practical implications of the research, noting that stress doesn’t just travel through a leash—it can travel through the air too.
So next time you’re feeling stressed, remember that your furry friend might be picking up on it too!
