New study finds dogs mirror stress level of their owners

 A study demonstrated an interspecific synchronization in long-term stress levels between dogs and their owners. The study evaluated long-term stress synchronization in 58 dogs and their owners through repeated analysis of hair cortisol concentrations (HCC). The personality traits of both dogs and their owners were first determined through owner-completed Dog Personality Questionnaire (DPQ) and human Big Five Inventory (BFI) surveys.

The results showed significant interspecies correlations in long-term stress where human HCC from both summer and winter samplings correlated strongly with dog HCC. The dogs' activity levels did not affect HCC. The human personality traits neuroticism, conscientiousness, and openness significantly affected dog HCC, which suggests that dogs mirror the stress level of their owners.

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Long-term stress levels are synchronized in dogs and their owners.