The health problems we can pass to our pets.
This week: Stress
PET owners with higher stress levels have been found to have dogs with higher levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, according to a study of 58 dogs published in the journal Scientific Reports.
"Being a pack animal means that dogs have to be really good at reading body language and the emotional state of other pack members, and through domestication dogs have also become expert at picking up human emotions," explains Dr Jan Hoole, a specialist in pet behaviour at Keele University.
So how do you protect your dog? "Routine can be very important to dogs, so try and keep to their normal exercise and eating schedule," says Dr Hoole. "Calm behaviour from you can also help."
While the 2019 study didn’t look at cats, they are also very sensitive to atmosphere, she adds – but unlike dogs they normally take themselves off until the stress has passed.
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