Dogs are stressed out by their owners’ work-related anxiety, a study has shown.
Scientists asked 85 dog owners to fill in a survey on their stress levels at work and their pets’ behaviour.
The owners were asked questions about their professional life including “are you irritated by work issues” and how much they agree or disagree with the statement “very few stressful things happen to me at work”.
They were also asked to report how often their dog exhibited 11 different behaviours, some of which are linked to stress, such as panting, having their tail between their legs, whining and leaning into people.
The researchers found a direct correlation between owners with more stressful jobs and their pet’s stress levels.
“Our results do suggest that a person with a more stressful job is more likely to pass that stress on to their dog at home,” study author Dr Tanya Mitropoulos, of Radford University, told The Telegraph.
Around a quarter of those studied were healthcare workers and a third were high-level managers – both positions that the study found were particularly stressful.
Dr Mitropoulos found that of all the things that can stress a dog out, 13 per cent can be blamed on an owner’s job.
“If you have two dog owners, the dog owner with higher stress has a 64 per cent chance of owning the dog that is more stressed,” she added.
Dogs show stress by panting, having their tail between their legs and whining – Alex Treadway
The scientists found that one of the most problematic aspects of owner behaviour, which the dogs picked up on the most was taking the mental burden of a job home.
“Ruminating about work problems, meaning going over negative thoughts about work when you’re at home, facilitated the transfer of job stress to the dog,” Dr Mitropoulos said.
“So cutting off work-related thoughts when you’re at home should help prevent transferring your job stress to your dog.”
She advised checking work emails as little as possible and not working when at home, as well as making sure work and home were distinctly separated – both mentally and physically – for people who work from home.
“If possible, try to keep your workspace in a designated and remote area of the home so you’re not seeing reminders of work while you’re supposed to be relaxing,” she said.
“Practising mindfulness has been shown to reduce rumination, and there are now apps that guide people through mindfulness exercises, which you can do at the end of your workday.”
Play to unwind
She said that the best way to relax for both owners and dogs is to play together at home after work.
“Playing with your dog is a great way to pull your thoughts away from work,” Dr Mitropoulos said.
“Plus, if your dog is stressed due to not receiving enough attention because you’re busy mulling over work issues, playing with your pet is a great way to give him the attention he needs while also pulling your mind away from work.”
The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports.
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