During stressful moments, do you prefer to spend time with your four-legged friend rather than with a partner or friends? Then you are not alone.
More and more studies show that dog owners experience less stress when their pet is nearby. In recent years it has become clear that dogs comfort, calm their owners, are excellent listeners, and are helpful in many other ways. What’s up with that? You can read it below.
Proven support from a dog
‘Dogs are very predictable and reliable. Their unconditional love gives us a sense of security,” says Evangeline Wheeler, professor of psychology at Towson University in Maryland, US. ‘A dog does not judge and is not critical. He just sits there and looks at you lovingly.’
That support can be more soothing than the presence of friends or a partner, is evident from several experiments. When people were asked to solve a problem or immerse their hand in ice water in the presence of their dog, their heart rate increased less than when they tried to perform the same task with a friend or partner next to them.
For another investigation dog owners had to perform stressful tasks, such as adding numbers that light up on a computer screen. The respondents were then divided into three groups: some spent time with their dog, others were allowed to color in a coloring book, and the rest waited in silence for ten minutes. People reunited with their dogs showed greater mood improvements and decreases in stress than the other two groups.
Talking to your dog helps
Many dog owners like to talk to their pets. This also proves to be useful, especially when emotionally charged issues are brought to the table. The researchers discovered that people are more willing to share complex emotions such as fear and jealousy with their dog than with romantic partners or friends.
Although the exact reasons for this are not yet clear, researchers suspect that “pets are good, unbiased listeners because they don’t interrupt you,” says co-author Daniel Mills. “A dog doesn’t try to solve a problem the way people sometimes do.” As soon as dogs notice that something is bothering their owner, they are also inclined to provide cheerful distraction. “Manipulating dogs,” Mills explains. “Their desire to play is at odds with your angry or depressed mood.”
2024-01-24 14:33:39
#stressed #dog #helps #relax #partner #friends
