If you have a dog, make sure you give them an extra rub before you head to work. And tell yourself, you got this! Tell yourself it’s going to be a great day. Everything will be fine.
Your stress isn’t just bumming you out, it’s also affecting your furry friend, too. A new study found that dogs can smell their owner’s stress and it makes them sad.
Researchers at Bristol Veterinary School in the UK gathered 18 dogs, and 11 human volunteers who had no prior experience with the dogs.
The human volunteers were put through some stress-inducing activities… and then calming activities… and sweat samples were collected afterwards. The dogs were then tested to see how they’d react to the stress-sweat samples while searching for treats.
The results? The research team found that the smell of stressed-out sweat often threw the dogs off the trail of treats and made the dogs more hesitant and pessimistic. The researchers believe the dogs behaved this way because the dogs sensed potential danger.
Our doggos truly are our best friend.
So, the next time you’re feeling overwhelmed, keep in mind that your pup is picking up on it. Maybe take a break together, because you both deserve it!