It's science - pets have a positive effect on us

It’s hard to be in a bad mood when a pooch bounds up to you and, tongue drooping happily to one side, wags its tail and waits anxiously for reciprocation.

Likewise, nothing makes clear the fact that you are not alone quite like a snoring, furry lump slowly edging you from the couch.

Pets of all kinds play an important role in the lives of those that love them, not the least of which is the way they somehow help offset negative human emotions and encourage positive ones.

Understanding the benefits of pets to their people is an area that, particularly in recent years, has received vast attention from those interested in improving the human experience and, repeatedly, positive effects have been correlated with pet ownership.

Because of this, Human Animal Interaction (HAI) research, as it has come to be known, has captured the attention of both medical and mental health researchers.

While quite a lot of study has focused specifically on the dynamics between children and pets, one area lacking until recently was empirical research into whether dogs buffer stress responses in children.

Published in the May issue of Social Development, researchers from the University of Florida detailed a study on the ability of dogs to act as a stress buffer for a group of 101 children between ages 7 to 12.

The selected age group, they noted, represented middle childhood, a vulnerable developmental phase in which children are increasingly independent from their parents, are forming concepts of self, and, as a result, are particularly aware of and sensitive to external perspectives, all of which increase stress reactions.

Solicited from north central Florida, the children who took part — 51 boys and 50 girls — brought along their pet dogs for the study.

The children were given a 15-minute stressor test that involved being asked to deliver a speech to researchers posing as judges in a laboratory environment followed by being asked to perform an arithmetic task.

After completing the stressor, the children were taken to a resting room where they were left in the company of a parent, their dog, or by themselves for 10 minutes. At the end of the rest period, their cortisol — commonly referred to as the stress hormone — levels were tested and they were given a self-assessment to evaluate how they perceived their stress levels.

Researchers found the presence of pet dogs did indeed buffer the perceived stress of children at much higher levels than even the company of a parent. Attributing the perception to the non-judgmental nature of dogs, researchers concluded the companionship of their pets helped children see their stress as less significant.

Cortisol stress responses, the team reported, were more complex, however. In general, cortisol levels were higher for children placed with their dogs during the rest period, yet they appeared to be connected to the nature of contact between dogs and children.

When dogs sought closeness to the children, cortisol levels were higher than when the children sought out their dogs and engaged in petting them. Researchers speculated that when the dogs initiated contact with the children it elevated their cortisol-associated stress levels by adding to the mental and behavioral burdens caused by the experiment, whereas when children initiated contact, the result was relief.

While there may be nuances in the specific ways pets help alleviate stress, the research adds a scientific layer of confirmation to what pet owners already know — one of the best ways to soothe a worried mind is the comfort of a critter who could care less about the details.

Sharna Johnson is always searching for ponies. You can reach her at: [email protected]