Animal Behaviorists Reveal Why Pets Mirror Our Stress More Than We Think – Newsweek

It’s often said that pets replicate their owner’s behaviors, but it’s not just those early bedtime routines and naps on the couch that they copy.

Have you ever felt stressed or anxious around your pet, and wondered what they might be thinking? It turns out they might be feeling just the same because, so strong is the bond between human and pet, they can even mirror our stress levels.   

Indeed, as many animals have been domesticated and learned to view people as part of their community, they’ve picked up on our behaviors. Dr. Andrea Y. Tu, chief of veterinary behavior services at the Heart of Chelsea Veterinary Group, tells Newsweek that pets have “evolved to recognize and understand human communication,” whether that’s body language, verbal tone, or even biological markers.

“They have developed to recognize human body language and those physiological signs of human emotion and changes in our emotional state,” Tu said. “As a result, that can influence their own emotional state and manifest in physiological changes that look like they're mimicking humans.”

A study published in October 2024 found that the heart rate variability (the slight fluctuations between heartbeats) of a dog and its owner can mirror each other. By observing 25 dogs and their owners while wearing ECG electrodes, researchers found that when the owner was relaxed or stressed, so too was their dog.

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