We would love to be like the Dog Whisperer(c) and figure out why our pup acts so wildly during times of simple fun. Why did he nip at our best friend when, only an hour earlier, they were communing together happily? Is there something about us, their owner, that makes Fido react so strangely?
The research paper states that dogs are sensitive to their owners’ emotional states, with women in particular, having stronger relationships with companion animals.
As a result, ‘emotional contagion’ can take place, with someone neurotic who gets a dog able to transform that animal from having a relaxed personality to being more highly strung.
THE RESULTS
Pet owners more prone to anxiety, who are more pessimistic, have dogs which ‘mirror’ these traits.
In an experiment involving 132 owners and their pets, these dogs were less able to cope with perceived threats, as shown by changes in their level of the stress hormone cortisol.Dogs with owners who scored high for neurotisicm in a questionnaire showed less variation in their cortisol levels, a sign of failing to cope with the stressful situations.
The same findings apply to dogs with separation anxiety and those whose owners are not sensitive to their needs.
This was tested by separating and reuniting dogs from their owners and introducing them to a new room, as well as setting pairs of people and pets challenging tasks like walking over a wire mesh bridge or sitting still on a wobbly podium.The dogs were also exposed to a slightly threatening situation, with a stranger wearing a hood and ski mask approaching them.
Dogs with owners who scored high for neurotisicm in a questionnaire showed less variation in their cortisol levels, a sign of failing to cope with the stressful situations.
Animals with greater changes in their cortisol levels show they are resilient enough to reduce their own stress.
Stress is concerning for dogs, which can pant, slobber and forget their toilet training if they fail to adapt. Anxiety can also cause aggression towards human.
While we have seen many well-adjusted individuals with very neurotic dogs, we have to admit there may be some truth in the above. Often, we want to believe it is just the breed itself that has a natural bend toward aggression or fear. Yet, this is not always true. Pit Bulls, for instance, are a much-maligned dog that we find one of the kindest we’ve met.
Still, we do think the idea of a neurotic owner having a neurotic dog a bit of generalization. We know of a very calm, kind and patient couple whose dog can go wildly out of control. We do not feel it is a reflection on them.
They simply have a dog that is a little more independent than what they counted on. In this case, you can probably blame it on the breed or, if not that, the dog as an individualist.
To read more on this fascinating subject go to Daily Mail. Meanwhile, keep your dog safe, well behaved, and love him or her for all their idiosyncrasies!
