Research article: Emotional Contagion From Humans to Dogs

[skinnydipper]

"In this study, we examined the emotional contagion between humans and dogs by accessing the autonomic responses. It was found that emotional contagion can be transferred from the owner to the dogs, and the efficacy of the emotional contagion was depending of the duration of the time sharing with dog and owners. The existence of emotional contagion between human and dogs, an inter-species dyad, can contribute to the cohabitation.

Read more here: https://www.frontiersin.org/article...RY9-C77D1e4XLyAOxZQ8qZNlQjm1z6oT_dYOfepX0Ba3M

 

[ycbm]

This fascinates but doesn't surprise me. My mother killed a miniature poodle with this. He had colitis and she took him to the vet to put it down. He refused, (realising that it was her causing the dogs issues because of how different he was when taken away from her), but offered to take him and find him a new owner. Instead she found another vet to kill an otherwise healthy 6 year old dog.
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[skinnydipper]

This fascinates but doesn't surprise me. My mother killed a miniature poodle with this. He had colitis and she took him to the vet to put it down. He refused, (realising that it was her causing the dogs issues because of how different he was when taken away from her), but offered to take him and find him a new owner. Instead she found another vet to kill an otherwise healthy 6 year old dog.
.

Oh dear, that is so sad. I wonder why she wouldn't allow him the chance of health and happiness with a new owner.

 

[ycbm]

Oh dear, that is so sad. I wonder why she wouldn't allow him the chance of health and happiness with a new owner.

She would have had to admit it was her, which would destroy her model that nothing is ever her fault. Poor dog paid with his life.

To see studies now being done that prove this emotional transfer is really fascinating. Thanks for posting.
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[CorvusCorax]

This is why I have some misgivings about emotional support animals.

I see people passing their wonky vibes to their dogs all the time and it's completely unfair and stressful for them IMO.
If I'm in bad form I give my dogs their own space, it's my problem to deal with, not theirs.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Interesting, particularly the bit about females being more likely to have this happen. It’s been very obvious across 3 pairs of litter mates that one of each pair prefers me. Bear will get off my OH’s knee when mine becomes available. Goose comes to me for cuddles. Brig was ‘my’ dog. My OH always told me Beau was ‘your big dog’, he was extremely vocal when he heard the car/very quick to come to call, generally very attached, more so than other people’s horses.

I hope that I don’t pass on my stress to the dogs. I find them very soothing if I’ve had a bad day. It’s impossible to stay stressed when Goose is twirling round the kitchen. I like to play with them so I probably get them excited but they join in voluntarily, they’re not forced to interact. They’re very much allowed to do things at their pace and aren’t disturbed (unless they’re in my seat!)

 

[Carmen6]

I've found this consistently with 'problem' dogs, especially aggressive / nervous ones.

I've always wondered about emotional support animals and worried about the impact on their mental health due to the anxiety / fear from their owner.

 

[planete]

My mother had Alzheimer for several years before going into a home. Her toy poodle became a completely messed up bitch but reverted to a normal, balanced and friendly dog once my mother was no longer at home.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Urgh here I go again.

I have seen a very talented, drivy dog turn into an anxious, ears-flat, worrier because of their owner's bullcrap.

This person prides themselves on being 'force free' and would never use any sort of aversives and 'loves their dogs' but throws a tantrum every time something isn't perfect, to the extent that the dog looks miserable/walking on eggshells before certain exercises.

This is a dog described as their 'best friend/therapist'.
Yeah sure I might roar at mine if they are being twonks but they always look happy to be around me/do stuff for me because we all enjoy it/I haven't made what is supposed to be a fun hobby a coping mechanism for all our issues.
This dog is coming to no physical harm, but my goodness, it boils my piss.

/end rant.

 

[stangs]

Very interesting, thank you for sharing.

I do find it irritating when people say their pet is their therapist, partially because no one ever says that they’re their pet’s therapist too (or that they hope they could become their therapists), and because none of these people ever stop to think how high the rate of compassion fatigue is in therapists.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Very interesting, thank you for sharing.

I do find it irritating when people say their pet is their therapist, partially because no one ever says that they’re their pet’s therapist too (or that they hope they could become their therapists), and because none of these people ever stop to think how high the rate of compassion fatigue is in therapists.

Theres an advert playing constantly on TV with a crying woman who looks to be on a therapist’s couch but turns out she’s sobbing quietly to a variety of cats/dogs. Not helpful!

 

[skinnydipper]

This person prides themselves on being 'force free' and would never use any sort of aversives and 'loves their dogs' but throws a tantrum every time something isn't perfect, to the extent that the dog looks miserable/walking on eggshells before certain exercises.

throws a tantrum every time something isn't perfect

It's a shame that this person does not realise that for the dog this is an aversive consequence.

Poor dog won't be aware what he has done wrong, could lose confidence and give up trying.

 

[BallyRoanBaubles]

Very interesting thanks for posting

 

[Lady Jane]

This fascinates but doesn't surprise me. My mother killed a miniature poodle with this. He had colitis and she took him to the vet to put it down. He refused, (realising that it was her causing the dogs issues because of how different he was when taken away from her), but offered to take him and find him a new owner. Instead she found another vet to kill an otherwise healthy 6 year old dog.
.

I've just looked up emotional contagion - I hadn't heard the expression before. My understanding is that we can transfer our emotions onto our animals. But would the colitis be caused by stress? IPlease tell me we can't make our animals ill as such via our emotions? Its not like Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy?

 

[CorvusCorax]

Stress colitis is a thing in humans and dogs.

 

[CorvusCorax]

throws a tantrum every time something isn't perfect

It's a shame that this person does not realise that for the dog this is an aversive consequence.

Poor dog won't be aware what he has done wrong, could lose confidence and give up trying.

We had a talk yesterday and I think we are all on the same page now

 

[skinnydipper]

I've just looked up emotional contagion - I hadn't heard the expression before. My understanding is that we can transfer our emotions onto our animals. But would the colitis be caused by stress? IPlease tell me we can't make our animals ill as such via our emotions? Its not like Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy?

A dog can read your body language even if you think you are not saying anything.

The canine olfactory system is so sensitive that dogs can detect changes to human hormones, including cortisol.

 

[smolmaus]

This makes so much sense as soon as you think about it for a second.

I have been guilty of using the pony as a comfort blanket on occasion when I'm stressed, but after a few occasions where my awful, wound up energy turned a normally very steady chilled out mare into a panicky mess I've made more of an effort not to do anything with her other than a brush and a snack when I'm like that. A snack for me usually helps too. Vibes truly are everything.

 

[Rokele55]

Is this how the saying 'a dog is just like it's owner' came about do you think?

 

[Aru]

Glad to see there's finally research behind this.

This is one of the reasons vets often offer to take dogs with anxious worked up owners or needle phobic owners to the treatment area to give treatments.
If you feed them your fear and anxiety in the room the are not going to be happy and compliant with being injected or having bloods etc taken. Tension and fear make everything worse.

Remove the owner and allow a little time to change emotional state-food or a squeaky toy helps or a good head tap to distract...and many previously "needle reactive" dogs are tolerant of injections.

Not always popular with that personaility of owner though!

 

[ycbm]

I've just looked up emotional contagion - I hadn't heard the expression before. My understanding is that we can transfer our emotions onto our animals. But would the colitis be caused by stress? IPlease tell me we can't make our animals ill as such via our emotions? Its not like Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy?

MbP? No, that's deliberately doing something to make the animal ill. But making the animal ill by transfer of your own emotions, that's what the vet who refused to put the dog down believed. He was fine as long as he was not with her.
.

 

[Rowreach]

Not just therapy dogs who are affected by their work, but therapy horses too, which is why I’ve stayed well clear of that line of work.

I’ve had so many horses come in on “schooling” livery, with supposed multitudinous issues, that have altered from the moment the owner drove off the yard, so it definitely isn’t just dogs.