Overview

• A Radford University study found that job stress in dog owners correlates with elevated stress behaviors in their pets, such as whining, restlessness, and changes in tail posture.
• The research emphasizes that work-related rumination—mentally revisiting job problems at home—amplifies stress transfer from owners to dogs.
• Dogs are highly attuned to human emotions through cues like tone of voice, body language, and potentially scent, a phenomenon known as emotional contagion.
• The study surveyed 85 dog owners and identified a 64% likelihood that a more stressed owner would have a more stressed dog.
• Experts recommend mindfulness practices, separating workspaces from living areas, and engaging in playtime with pets to reduce cross-species stress transmission.