Dogs and people have lived side by side for millennia and it’s no secret that the relationship between human and canine is a special one. Ask any dog lover and they will tell you about the uncanny way that their pet is attuned to their emotions, sometimes more than other people in their lives. Service dogs, assisting those with various disabilities have been specially trained and prescribed to people for almost 100 years.
In recent decades, emotional support animals have risen in popularity and many people have started to wonder just how attuned to us our canine companions are. The truth is that dogs really can sense the changes in our emotions and mental health. In this article we’ll look at what current research shows and how you can use that information with your pet.
How Can Dogs Sense Depression and Anxiety?
Researchers believe that dogs can sense anxiety and depression due to their heightened senses. Dogs have a sense of smell that is estimated to be anywhere from 10,000 to 100,000 times stronger than humans’ sense of smell. This may allow them to smell stress chemicals that are undetectable to our noses, cluing them into our feelings.
Dogs have been used in medical settings to detect diseases like cancer, so it’s not surprising that they may be able to detect chemical imbalances related to depression as well.
Dogs that you have a relationship with, such as your own pet, may also pick up on patterns of behavior. Scientists have observed dogs picking up on things like facial expressions and tone of voice in their owners. These audio and visual cues can also help your dog to understand your emotions.
Does Our Stress Affect Dogs?
Since dogs are such sensitive creatures, they are often very aware of the emotions in their household. Through their sense of smell, a study from the University of Bristol found that dogs actually adjust their behavior in response to our feelings.
This can explain why dogs seem to offer us comfort when we’re feeling particularly fragile. Your dog may really be trying to cheer you up and support you in any way you can. Some dogs might cuddle you more or make an effort to avoid behaviors you often correct them for when you’re feeling down. This is a wonderful display of empathy.
On the flip side, the research shows that your dog can also develop their own stress in response to yours. It’s important to make sure you are supporting your dog as well and looking for signs of anxiety in them. Be sure to give them plenty of affection and praise for their efforts to comfort you and ensure they get enough time to play and exercise.
Keeping up with their regular feeding and walking schedule to the best of your ability will help give them, and possibly you, a greater feeling of stability. Positive crate training can also help them to find moments of quiet and rest, thinking of their crate as a sanctuary. If you’re seeing any unusual behavior, you can also ask for advice from your vet.
Are Certain Breeds More Emotionally Sensitive?
Dog experts and owners agree that some dogs are more empathetic and emotional than others. While each dog has its own personality, certain breeds have a reputation for being particularly in tune with the feelings of people around them.
Many of these are breeds with a long history of working side by side with humans in agricultural settings. Some of the most common breeds that people point to as being empathetic and highly emotional intelligent include golden retrievers, German shepherds, Cavalier King Charles spaniels, poodles, Labrador retrievers, and border collies. These breeds are also often noted for their overall intelligence and sociability.
Regardless of breed, many dogs and owners develop a strong bond over time.
Can a Dog Diagnose Mental Health Issues?
There have been many anecdotes shared online of emotional support animals or even service dogs giving extra attention to strangers, offering their support to someone they see as in need of their help. This can make people who experience this attention wonder if they have the same condition that the dog has been trained to treat.
This certainly is possible, but it also shouldn’t be taken as a diagnosis. Dogs may give you extra attention simply because they like you or sense that you are having a hard day. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you have clinical anxiety or depression.
However, if you are having frequent symptoms that are getting in the way of your everyday activities and happening more frequently, you may want to see a mental health professional to get to the root of the issues. If you do receive a diagnosis, an emotional support animal or service dog could be a recommended treatment.
How Can Dogs Help Those with Depression and Anxiety?
While they cannot provide a reliable diagnosis of a mental health condition, dogs can provide unmatched support for individuals who struggle with these illnesses. Many individuals find that dogs can be even more empathetic than humans.
Dogs don’t judge you or expect you to put on a fake smile or even wash your hair if you’re not feeling up to it. Dogs also encourage you to get out of bed every day to feed them and can encourage you to get out of the house for a walk. It may be hard to feel motivated to feed yourself and get fresh air on your own, but love for your dog can help inspire better self-care as well.
Quite simply, the love of a dog can give you something to live for and they can remind you that you’re not as alone as you may feel.
Ways Dogs Comfort Us
There are several signs that your dog may be trying to comfort you during periods of depression and anxiety. You might notice them growing closer to you, putting their paw on you or snuggling close to you in bed or on the couch.
A dog may also grow quieter and meeker than usual, as if trying not to disturb or upset you. Your dog may become a “velcro” pet when you’re unwell, sticking close to you and even following you from room to room.
ESAs and Service Dogs
Certain conditions can be helped by emotional support animals or service animals. If you receive a mental health diagnosis, your healthcare provider can help you to get an ESA or service dog if they believe it can benefit your treatment.
What’s the Difference Between ESAs and Service Dogs?
A service dog is specially trained, often from early puppyhood, to perform specific tasks that help people with certain disabilities. Seeing-eye dogs are one of the best known varieties of service dog, but they can be trained to perform tasks that support people with a variety of conditions such as epilepsy, diabetes, autism, and PTSD.
Service dogs are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act, allowing them access to public spaces and housing where pets are not permitted. Service dogs are not pets, after all, but carefully trained and professionally prescribed healthcare workers.
ESAs are similar to service dogs, but there are a few key differences. Emotional support animals often start out as normal pets, but their strong connection to their owner provides more than just companionship. They can help their owner better manage their mental health symptoms day to day.
A healthcare professional can recommend an emotional support animal as part of your treatment regiment for a variety of conditions. ESAs have some legal protections, particularly when it comes to housing, though it varies by state. Instead of having to wait for an organization to provide you with a specially trained animal, any well-trained dog can become an ESA.
While it’s not necessary to turn your pet into an ESA, there may be some benefits. It’s merely a way of allowing them to continue supporting you as they always have, but it makes their role more official and harder to ignore.
Animal Empaths: Can Dogs Sense Depression and Anxiety?
Clearly, animals are more deeply emotional than we realize. Scientists are only now studying what dog owners have believed for generations: they know us better than we realize. While they can’t diagnose ups, dogs can recognize our moods and often try to offer us comfort when we’re at our lowest.
It’s no wonder that emotional support animals and service dogs are now popular for many conditions. More than just a pet, dogs are truly therapeutic creatures that stick with us even when no one else does. If you think an ESA could be right for you, ask your doctor for a recommendation.