Dogs and owners share emotional and physiological changes
In the journals
- Reviewed by Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
A new study, published Oct. 24, 2024, by Scientific Reports, offers insight into a physiologic measure of the strong emotional connection between a dog and its owner. Researchers found that the heart rate variability of a dog and its owner often mirror each other during interactions. Heart rate variability refers to the slight fluctuations in the time between heartbeats. Greater variability is linked to better heart health, and it happens more during relaxation and less often during times of stress.
The study observed 25 dogs and their owners. The dogs represented breeds known for their high cooperation with humans, such as sheepdogs and retrievers. Owners and their dogs wore ECG electrodes to monitor their heart rates during several types of interactions, such as relaxing together, the owner petting the dog, and playing together with the dog's favorite toy. The researchers found that both the owners' and dogs' heart rate variability were likely to match, no matter the interaction. When the owner was relaxed or stressed, so was the dog, and vice versa.
Image: © miodrag ignjatovic/Getty Images
About the Author
Matthew Solan, Executive Editor, Harvard Men's Health Watch
About the Reviewer
Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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