Do My Emotions Impact My Pet’s?
Your dog is receptive to your general moods. If you have ever been anxious, nervous, or upset, you may have noticed that your dog mirrors those emotions.
No, it is not all in your head. When you are stressed, Fido is stressed, too. That is because even though your dog might get into trouble, dogs are a highly intelligent species who are more in tune with their owners than you might think.
Knowing how your pet can sense your emotions and how to help combat second-hand stress can help you create a more calm, relaxed home.
Dogs can sense human emotions
According to a study conducted by the University of Lincoln, UK and University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, your cuddly canine can assess your emotions simply by looking at your face. During the study, dogs were not spoken to in the language of their owners, thus forcing them to assess the tone of voice for verbal cues and the facial expressions of humans on a video screen. The study found that the dogs could accurately assess the human’s emotions based on tone and facial expressions alone. This is partly how, when you are having a bad day, your dog knows to come comfort you.
Dogs can smell stress
Just like emotions, your pet can smell when you are stressed. When humans are stressed out or anxious, we emit a pheromone that signals when we are in fight-or-flight mode.
You may notice that your sweat smells different when you are at work than it does when you are exercising — this is the same type of difference that dogs are able to detect, but in a much more amplified way. Dogs have an excellent sense of smell, and can smell your stress through your sweat. For some dogs, this causes their own anxiety to flare, and for others, it indicates to them that they should try to take care of you.
Dogs can intuit human intentions
Body language goes a long way. In fact, studies have shown that dogs can decipher your intentions through your body language alone.
You may have heard that a dog can always tell who is a bad person and who is a good person, or maybe you don’t trust people who your dog doesn’t like — and for good reason. According to a recent study, when a human provides misleading body language or have proven to be unreliable, dogs can sense that and are less likely to trust the person or what them in their home.
You can minimize your pets stress when you are stressed.
Sometimes life gets crazy, and try as you might to keep calm and carry on, there is just no way to avoid stress. Since we cannot control the pheromones we emit, it can be hard to keep your dog from feeling your stress.
To help minimize stress on your pup, remember to keep to routines when you are going through your own stressful or anxious situations. Dogs need routine, so it is important that you feed them, go for a walk, and spend time together at the same time every day.
Using CBD oil for dogs can also help minimize your pups stress and anxiety when you are going through stressful circumstances. To combat anxiety, CALM from CBD Dog Health is a great option.
You can also lower your pet’s stress level by playing soft music. Loud sounds can trigger more anxiety in your pet, so try to avoid loud television shows or music during times of intense stress for you and your pet.
Spending time with your pet will also relieve tension and stress for both you and your furry friend. In fact, petting a dog or a cat can lower your blood pressure and can minimize feelings of loneliness — and the feeling is reciprocal with your pet. So cuddle up with your dog and watch the stress melt away.
To learn more about how to combat stress and anxiety in your pet, visit CBDDogHealth.com.
Angela Ardolino has been caring for animals since she was 8 years old and has operated a farm rescue for over 10 years. She also is the owner of Beautify the Beast a natural pet salon and spa, and the founder of CBD Dog Health. Angela is an expert in medical cannabis and has dedicated her life to providing all-natural relief for pets of all kinds. She has three dogs, and 4-10 at anytime that she is fostering, or boarding, visit www.angelaardolino.com to find out more or www.facebook.com/fireflakefarm to find out more about Fire Flake Farm.