Study Shows Stress Levels of Dogs and Their Owners are Linked

Whenever you're feeling stressed, it's a good idea to take a breath and relax for a moment -- if not for your sake, then for your dog's.

That's because dogs feel every bit of the stress their owners are going through, a study released on Thursday claims. Researchers in Sweden took hair samples from dogs and their owners and checked them for concentrations of the cortisol hormone, which is released into the bloodstream and absorbed by hair follicles when a person is stressed. They discovered people with high levels of cortisol had dogs with high levels of cortisol.

"New evidence is continually emerging, showing that people and their dogs have incredibly close bonds that resemble the ones that parents share with their children," researcher Lina Roth says.

What human traits have you seen in a pet?

Photo: Getty Images


Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content