Dogs can smell human stress, but it makes them sad

The relationship between humans and dogs has been an unbreakable bond that has developed over thousands of years. Since the first human communities began domesticating them some 30,000 years ago, these faithful companions have evolved to not only live alongside us, but also to understand us in a deep and meaningful way. This bond has been shaped by coexistence and cooperation, to the point that dogs have become exceptionally adept at interpreting our emotional and behavioural cues.

A recent study by a group of researchers at the University of Bristol, UK, has shed new light on the ability of dogs to detect and respond to human stress. Published in the journal Scientific Reports, this study reveals that dogs are not only able to smell stress, identified in this case by elevated levels of cortisol in human sweat, but they also react emotionally to it. This discovery underlines the ability of dogs to perceive and respond to human emotions in a much more complex way than previously understood.

To conduct the study, the researchers recruited 18 dogs of different breeds along with their respective owners. They also involved 11 volunteers who had no previous relationship with dogs and who underwent a test designed to induce stress. This test consisted of public speaking and performing arithmetic operations, tasks that commonly generate anxiety in many people. During these activities, sweat samples were collected from the volunteers’ armpits using swabs.

Once the samples were obtained, the dogs were exposed to the smell of sweat from stressed individuals. The results were revealing: the dogs showed more pessimistic and cautious behaviour when they were around people who were emitting stress signals. This contrasted with their usual behaviour in normal situations or when they were around relaxed people. The research suggests that this change in behaviour in dogs may be due to an emotional reaction to the olfactory signals emitted by unknown people who are under stress.

This finding has important implications, as it highlights how smell, one of the most developed senses in dogs, plays a crucial role in their ability to interpret human emotions. The fact that dogs react emotionally to perceived stress in unfamiliar people underlines the depth of their emotional connection with humans, which goes beyond their usual interactions with their owners. This study also reinforces the idea that dogs may be sensitive to human emotional states on a level that was not fully understood before.

These results also open new avenues for exploring how dogs can be used in emotional therapies or as support in high-stress situations. Dogs’ ability to detect stress in humans could be harnessed to develop new strategies for managing stress and anxiety in clinical or domestic settings. Furthermore, this study reinforces the understanding of the relationship between humans and dogs, showing that these animals are not only loyal companions, but also sensitive beings that respond to our emotions in deep and meaningful ways.

This study from the University of Bristol has revealed a fascinating facet of the interaction between dogs and humans. Through their keen sense of smell, dogs not only detect stress in humans, but also react emotionally to it, demonstrating once again the depth of the connection between the two species. This discovery not only enriches our understanding of dogs as companions, but also opens up new possibilities in the use of these animals in emotional support and therapy.

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