Benzos for Benji? –
June 9, 2019 – If you think your dog looks stressed out, it might be your own stress levels that are affecting your pet pooch. Swedish researchers studied 58 dogs—33 Shetland Sheepdogs and 25 Border Collies—as well as their owners. The dogs selected were balanced for sex, breed, and activity level. Both dog and owner personality was assessed through standardized personality questionnaires, with owners filling out the Dog Personality Questionnaire on behalf of their pet. Hair cortisol is a good way of measuring long-term trends in stress levels, as hair grows slowly (about 1cm per month) and absorbs circulating substances from the blood. Female dogs had a stronger connection with their owner’s stress levels compared with male dogs. Previous studies have shown that female dogs (as well as rats and chimpanzees) are more emotionally responsive than males. There’s also evidence that increased oxytocin (the love and bonding hormone) in female dogs results in increased interactions with their owner, causing a corresponding increase in the owner’s oxytocin levels. This effect wasn’t seen in male dogs…
