The smell of human stress can affect a dog’s emotional wellbeing, a new study has shown.
Research from the University of Bristol has found that human stress odours can make dogs make more ‘pessimistic’ choices.
During the study, scientists analysed how the smell of a stressed human impacted a dog’s ‘optimistic’ or ‘pessimistic’ choices.
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A total of 18 dog-owner partnerships were recruited for the investigation.
Each dog was trained which food bowls contained a treat, and which ones were empty, depending on their location.
After they knew where the filled and empty bowls were located, new bowls were positioned between the original two.
The dogs who quickly approached the ‘ambiguous’ bowls showed optimism and the dogs that approached with caution highlighted ‘pessimism’ and negative emotion.
These tests were carried out again when the dogs were exposed to human stress odours. The results have shown that the dogs were slower to approach the ambiguous’ bowls after they were exposed to human stress odours.
According to the academics, pessimistic responses could indicate a negative emotional state in the dogs.
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First author Dr Nicola Rooney said: “Understanding how human stress affects dogs’ wellbeing is an important consideration for dogs in kennels and when training companion dogs and dogs for working roles such as assistance dogs.
“Dog owners know how attuned their pets are to their emotions, but here we show that even the odour of a stressed, unfamiliar human affects a dog’s emotional state, perception of rewards, and ability to learn.”
She added: “Working dog handlers often describe stress travelling down the lead, but we’ve also shown it can also travel through the air.”
The study has been published in the journal Scientific Reports.
