In today’s society, we are all super busy. Family commitments, work and technology are raising our stress levels every year. So how do our dogs fit in this hectic picture? Can they feel our anxiety and be affected? In this article, we are going to give you all the answers. Let’s dive in!
“Anxiety is extremely contagious, but so is calm.”
Harriet Lerner
Dogs process the world around them also thanks to their dog owners. They are extremely capable of reading human body language, voice and frequencies. Thanks to their sense of smell, dogs detect the chemical changes in the human body. For all these reasons, when a person is feeling anxious, their dog can “read” all the signs of anxiety and be affected by them.
How do you actually give anxiety to your dog
People and dogs feel extremely connected because they have a comparable social frameworks. Like you, dogs are great at observing the world around them and react accordingly.
Dogs have the ability to realize when you change facial expression, when you modify your non-verbal communication and posture. Therefore, whenever you are exposed to stressors and you react with anxiety, your dog process that reaction and makes it its own.
The tone of your voice is among the most important signals that your dog uses to determine how you’re feeling. Dogs have a powerful sense of hearing, and they can identify when you’re happy or sad from your tone of voice. They know which behaviors are associated with the sounds you produce based on how high or low those vocalizations and frequencies are.
Other ways dogs pick up our anxiety
Dogs are also great observers. They can pick up on a lot of information about us from our facial expressions, posture, the way we move, and the smells we give off.
They use this information to predict what might happen next, for example, whether you’re going to play a game, have a nap, cuddle, or eat a meal.
Your dog also takes cues from you about how to respond in particular situations. They are highly attuned to your mood and can often pick up on changes in your emotions or behavior. When you respond calmly to new events, your dog is more likely to approach the situation calmly as well.
On the other hand, when you are anxious, your furry friend may become anxious too, even if it doesn’t know what has caused the change in behavior.
So, can you give anxiety to your dog? The answer is yes! More than you may have imagined!