A team of scientists from Linköping University, Sweden, has examined how stress levels in dogs are influenced by their owners and lifestyle factors. The results were published in the June 6 issue of the journal Scientific Reports.
Sundman et al reveal, for the first time, an interspecific synchronization in long-term stress levels. Image credit: Roman Michael Gottfried.
“We found that the long-term levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the dog and its owner were synchronised, such that owners with high cortisol levels have dogs with high cortisol levels, while owners with low cortisol levels have dogs with low levels,” said Dr. Ann-Sofie Sundman, first author of the study.
The researchers examined 25 border collies and 33 Shetland sheepdogs, all of them owned by women.
The owners and the dogs provided hair samples on two occasions separated by a few months.
Since physical activity can increase cortisol levels, the team also wanted to compare companion dogs with dogs that competed in obedience or agility. The physical activity levels of the dogs were therefore recorded for a week using an activity collar.
The authors found that physical activity in dogs didn’t affect the long-term cortisol in their hair.
On the other hand, the stress level of competing dogs seems to be linked more strongly with that of the owner.
“This may be associated with a higher degree of active interaction between the owner and the dog when they train and compete together,” they said.
The dog owners were also asked to complete two validated questionnaires related to their own and their dog’s personality.
The scientists investigated whether stress levels are correlated with personality traits.
“Surprisingly enough, we found no major effect of the dog’s personality on long-term stress,” said Dr. Lina Roth, senior author of the study.
“The personality of the owner, on the other hand, had a strong effect. This has led us to suggest that the dog mirrors its owner’s stress.”
“The results suggest that the match between an owner and a dog affects the dog’s stress level,” the researchers said.
“However, further studies are needed before we can draw any conclusions about the cause of the correlation.”
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Ann-Sofie Sundman et al. 2019. Long-term stress levels are synchronized in dogs and their owners. Scientific Reports 9, article number: 7391; doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-43851-x
