Coming home stressed after work every night? It's probably making your dog sad as well

We get it: corporate culture can be a drag and a half. But if you’re feeling like your faithful furry friend now seems less enthusiastic than usual when you return home from work, you might be rubbing your stress off on your pup as well, it turns out.

A recent study reveals that dogs can smell human stress, and this scent can trigger a similar emotional response in them, causing them to make 'pessimistic' decisions. Yes, you read that right. Dogs are not just passively sensing your mood — they're actually absorbing it through the air.

For many dog owners, the idea that their pets are attuned to their emotions is hardly news. However, this groundbreaking research offers the first scientific evidence of human stress odours influencing emotions and learning in dogs. This new insight could shed valuable light on the ancient bond between humans and canines.
"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," explains study author Nicola Rooney.

Smelling out the situation

To understand this phenomenon, the researchers recruited 18 dog-human duos for a series of trials featuring human odour samples. These samples were collected from three volunteers while they were either relaxing (watching a nature video) or under stress (performing a frustrating maths and public speaking task).

The dogs underwent training to distinguish between a food bowl in a positive location (always containing a treat) and one in a negative location (always empty). Once they learned this, the researchers started placing bowls in new, ambiguous locations to observe how quickly the dogs approached.

Interestingly, the dogs were significantly less likely to approach a bowl in a near-negative position when exposed to the scent of a stressed stranger, compared to when they were exposed to the scent of a relaxed person or no scent at all. This suggests that the stress odour was enough to dampen their hopes of finding food.

"Working dog handlers often describe stress travelling down the lead, but we've shown it can also travel through the air," Rooney remarks.

The subdued response from dogs exposed to human stress odour qualifies as pessimism, hinting at a negative emotional state, the authors explained. This may be an adaptive response, helping dogs conserve resources or avoid frustration.
"Understanding how human stress affects dogs' well-being is an important consideration for dogs in kennels," says Rooney, "and when training companion dogs and dogs for working roles such as assistance dogs."

So next time you come home stressed, remember: it’s not just you who’s feeling the pressure. Your loyal dog might be picking up on it too. Maybe it’s time to unwind together with a relaxing walk or a quiet moment of bonding — because a little less stress for you could mean a lot more happiness for your furry friend.

The findings of this research have been published in Scientific Reports and can be accessed here.