Work stress affects your dog too, new study reveals

Do you ever find yourself bringing the stress of work home with you? It turns out that this could be affecting your furry best friend as well. A new study published in Scientific Reports has found that job stress can impact your dog’s well-being.

The research, led by Tanya Mitropoulos and Allison Andrukonis, surveyed 85 working dog owners to measure job stress and how often they thought about work during their free time. They also asked about how stressed owners believed their dogs were and tracked behaviors linked to canine stress, such as whining, pacing, or restlessness.

The study revealed that owners with higher job stress tended to have dogs who exhibited more stress-related behaviors. Even when accounting for other stressors in the home, the link between job stress and dog stress remained strong. Interestingly, many owners were not aware that their dogs were stressed, as it was the dog’s behavior that told the story.

One of the main factors driving this connection was rumination. Owners who brought work problems home with them were more likely to have stressed-out dogs. This phenomenon, known as “crossover,” suggests that stress can spill over from humans to their pets.

Dogs are known for their sensitivity to human emotions, a concept referred to as “emotional contagion.” They can pick up on subtle cues like tone of voice and body language. When an owner is distracted or irritable due to work stress, the dog can sense this and become affected over time.

Additionally, when people are preoccupied with work problems, they may become less patient, inconsistent with routines, or distant with their pets. These changes in care can also contribute to increased stress in dogs.

The study emphasizes the importance of understanding how our behavior impacts our pets, especially since many Americans consider their pets to be part of the family. The authors suggest that employed dog owners should make an effort to avoid work-related rumination at home in order to protect the well-being of their furry companions.

So, next time you walk through the door after a long day at work, try to leave your job stress behind. Not only will it benefit your own health, but it will also contribute to a happier and healthier life for your beloved dog.