Dogs And Humans Feel Happy When They're With Each Other, Finds Study

We all love our little furry friends. They make us feel happy. But it is no longer just a feeling, but a scientifically proven fact. A new study published in PLOS One highlighted that playing with a dog just for 15 minutes can significantly reduce a person's stress. This could also help stressed students. It was found that when stressed students interact with a friendly dog, they reported less stress, they also had a reduced heart rate and had lower levels of stress hormone cortisol in their saliva.

The experience is the same with the dog too. So, not just humans benefit from the dogs, the furry friends too feel happier! Based on the fecal test, it was found that canine cortisol levels were lower a week after hanging with a human.

The senior investigator Jaruwan Khonmee of the Chiang Mai University Thailand, said, "Even brief interactions with dogs can significantly reduce stress levels among university undergraduate students."

How Was The Study Conducted?

The researchers recruited six friendly dogs between 3 and 6 years of age. They were to interact with college students. This included chihuahuas raised by veterinarians and a Shetland sheepdog raised by a psychologist.

It is important to note that none of these dogs were certified for therapy work.

Researchers enlisted 122 university students and conducted a series of tests to measure their stress levels before and after a short session with a dog. These tests included self-reported stress assessments, blood pressure and pulse readings, and saliva samples for cortisol testing—a key indicator of stress.

What Happened During the Session?

Each student was introduced to a dog, including its name, personality traits, and preferred interactions. They were then given 15 minutes to engage with the dog in any way they preferred—whether it was petting, playing, hugging, giving treats, or simply observing.

After the session, students underwent the same stress tests to measure any changes. Additionally, the dogs themselves provided saliva and fecal samples before and after their interactions with the students to determine if they, too, experienced any physiological changes.

The Results: A Noticeable Drop in Stress

Findings showed a significant reduction in student stress levels. According to the study:

• Self-reported stress levels dropped by 33.5% after just 15 minutes of interaction with a dog.
• Physiological improvements were noted, including lower pulse rates and decreased cortisol levels in students, indicating reduced stress.

What About the Dogs?

Interestingly, while the dogs’ salivary cortisol levels remained unchanged on the day of the play session, their fecal cortisol levels were lower a week later. This suggests that although the immediate stress response in dogs was not evident, prolonged exposure to human interaction might have a long-term calming effect on them as well.

Why This Matters

This study reinforces the idea that human-animal interactions can have a measurable impact on stress reduction. The findings highlight two key takeaways:

Dogs can be effective stress relievers for students – even those not trained for therapy purposes.

Animal well-being should also be considered in canine-assisted interventions to ensure that the experience is beneficial for both humans and dogs.

The Bigger Picture: Expanding Canine-Assisted Therapy

While therapy dogs and trained handlers are often used in structured mental health interventions, this research suggests that even non-certified dogs can provide mental health benefits. In settings where professional therapy animals are not available, the presence of friendly, well-behaved dogs may still offer stress relief to individuals facing high-pressure situations.