The presence of a pet dog is associated with a more balanced response to a social stressor

Abstract

Abstract Acute and chronic stress have physical manifestations in the human body that can lead to many negative health impacts. Today, people around the world report and experience higher stress levels than ever before, spurring the search for non-pharmaceutical interventions to maintain healthy stress levels. In this study, we examined whether a pet dog's presence influences healthy adults' acute stress responses. Participating pet dog owners were randomly assigned to undergo the Trier Social Stress Test either with their pet dog or alone. Participants undergoing the acute psychological stressor with their pet dogs present had significantly lower heart rates, lower plasma cortisol response, and higher salivary alpha-amylase response than people without their dogs. Those who participated without their dog had a statistically flat alpha amylase response, which is typically associated with extreme or pathological stress. These findings extend the potential effect of pet dogs beyond merely lowering their owner’s stress levels to maintaining a healthier, balanced response across the sympatho-adrenal medullary axis and hypothalamic-pituitary axes.