Your Relationship With Your Dog is Suprisingly Important to Him

Most pet owners would claim that the bond they have with their dog (or cat) is unique, synergistic, and without question, unbreakable. When we’re sad, our pet is right in there trying to cuddle up and bring comfort. When we’re happy or excited, guess who’s jumping up and down, wagging their tail in solidarity? Our little buddies.

Of course, this heartwarming human/pet bond is totally supported by the myriad social media posts of pet parents showcasing their special connection with the fur kid. From Rover punching sound buttons that share his needs and feelings to animal psychics who help us better connect with our pooches, we humans love to prove to the world that we are intuitive to our pets' wishes and have nurtured a loving little creature who is living his best life. Why not, right?

But does it work the other way? Do they really get as much back as we think they do? Is all that effort, meh? Or do we actually generate a feeling of goodwill with all that extra attention?

That was the question behind a recently published study shared by ScienceDaily. The research claims that a pet’s long-term stress levels are related to his relationship with his owner. In short, they’re picking up on the vibes we’re sending and it’s affecting their quality of life over the long haul.

The study was initiated by researchers at Sweden’s Linköping University who were curious as to whether a dog’s emotional well-being was related to the people he was living with.

Over several months, they tracked the stress hormones stored in the hair of humans and their dogs. As the hair grew, the levels of cortisol were mapped to create a comparative stress history of both the humans and the pooches.

They chose dog breeds that included 18 from the hunting group – specifically Elkhounds and Dachshunds - along with what is known as “ancient breeds” more closely related to wolves. In this latter group, 24 dogs such as Shiba Inu and Siberian Husky were tracked. Owners filled in questionnaires that spoke specifically to their emotional attachment to their dog, whether owning a pet created problems in their day-to-day lives and how they interacted with the dog regularly. Details of their personality and that of their dog were also recorded.

While the owner’s personality affected the hunting group more than the ancient group, it was the actual relationship between the dog and owner that most greatly affected the stress levels in all dogs tested. So, your fur kid doesn't care if you're a cranky pants as long as you and he have a strong, loving connection.

When combined with the results of a similar study that tracked herding breeds and was conducted by the same researchers, the results were unequivocal. Per Lina Roth, senior lecturer in the Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology at the university, it became clear that it was primarily the relationship between the pet and his owner that played a significant role in his long-term stress levels.

So, those pet-loving social media influencers are right! Indulge, engage, keep building that positive connection and sharing the results!