[00:00:00] Can a few minutes with your dog really calm your mind after a stressful moment? Earlier research supports the benefits of therapy dogs for relieving distress, but psychologists looked at specific mental health advantages of daily interactions with pet dogs that don't have therapy training. Participants included 70 adult dog owners who were measured on various factors including companionship with their dogs, demographic information, and a pre stress evaluation. The dog owners then completed a distressing task in which their stress activated affect and anxiety were measured. Half of the participants interacted with their pet dog while the other half spent time coloring without their pet dog. After spending some time in their stress relief groups, they retook the surveys.
[00:00:43] Participants who spent time with their dogs after the task had a greater increase in positive emotions and a decrease in anxiety. Overall, those who spent time with their dogs recovered emotionally more than those who didn't. These findings support the stress relieving qualities of pets, making them great candidates for emotional support. Don't forget to appreciate your pet more and keep an open mind to the use of emotional sport animals in public.
