Your Work Life Could Be Making Your Dog Depressed, Study Reveals

2025-05-25 05:01:16

(MENAFN- Live Mint) A new study has found that dog owners who come home moaning about a tough day at work may be making their pets stressed and unhappy. Researchers in the US discovered that dogs show more signs of stress-related behaviour when they are exposed to their owners' workplace worries. The study suggests that owners should avoid bringing home their work problems to“protect the well-being of man's best friend," Daily Mail reported.

Work stress is a common issue in the UK, affecting around 700,000 people each year and causing an estimated 16 million lost working days, the report further added. The team of psychologists from Radford University in Virginia wanted to see if family dogs could also be affected by their owners' stress.

They asked 85 adults who owned dogs to observe their pets on days when they came home feeling stressed, as well as on less stressful days or days off. Owners were asked to watch for signs that their dogs were unhappy, such as excessive whimpering or a poor appetite.

The results, published in the journal Scientific Reports, showed dogs clearly became more stressed on days when owners complained about problems at work. Even just thinking about stressful work issues seemed to affect the dogs' moods.

The researchers said:“Dogs are highly sensitive animals who can 'catch' the emotions and feelings of humans. They experience increases in stress when their owner does. Given most people view their pets as family, protecting them against stress may encourage them to resist engaging in ruminative thoughts about work.”

Previous studies have shown dogs become upset when they hear their owners cry. The team also noted that dogs' advanced sense of smell might help them detect rising levels of cortisol, a hormone released when the body is stressed.

The study highlights the strong emotional bond between dogs and their owners, and the need to keep pets' wellbeing in mind after a hard day at work.

MENAFN25052025007365015876ID1109592242

Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.