Scientists Find Petting Your Dog May Change Your Stress Response

Petting your dog after a stressful day might be doing something wonderful for your body, even if you don’t immediately feel calmer. New research suggests that touching a beloved dog may help soften the body’s reaction to the next stressful situation. Scientists at the University of Innsbruck in Austria set out to understand why physical contact with dogs can feel so comforting. Their findings revealed an unexpected difference between how quickly people recover from stress and how their bodies respond when another stressful challenge comes along. Researchers Wanted to Know What Makes Petting Dogs Special For many dog parents, reaching down to stroke their furry companion is an everyday habit. Dogs offer companionship through quiet evenings, busy mornings, and difficult days, but scientists wanted to investigate whether physical touch itself contributes to the benefits people experience. Researchers Vanessa Kaufmann, Xiaoqin Cheng, and Annett Schirmer designed an experiment involving 64 dog parents. Most participants were women in their mid-30s, and all brought their own dogs to a university laboratory in Austria. The participating dogs were healthy, older than two years, and comfort...