Your work stress is passed on to your dog - scientists have explained why

If you come home from work stressed and can't seem to switch off from your work problems, your four-legged friend is not indifferent to this state. A new study by scientists from Washington State University, published in the journal Scientific Reports, has shown that dogs feel and adopt the stress of their owners. And the matter is not even in the highest level of work stress, but in how much a person is able to mentally "switch off" from work, coming home.

Details: Tanya Mitropoulos et al, Dog owners' job stress crosses over to their pet dogs via work-related rumination, Scientific Reports(2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-01131-x

Gist of the study

Researchers studied the behaviour of 85 working people who owned dogs. The owners were asked to fill out questionnaires in which they had to describe their stress levels at work and how often they thought about work problems in their free time (so-called rumination). In addition, participants observed the behaviour of their pets, noting signs of stress in the animals.

The results were revealing: dogs whose owners often thought about work showed clear signs of anxiety. The animals whined more often, nervously darted around the flat, and became less playful. Interestingly, many owners did not even notice that the behaviour of their pets changed, and did not connect it with their emotional state.

Why is stress transmitted to the pet?

The fact is that dogs are perfectly able to read the emotional state of a person by intonation, gestures, facial expression and even breathing. When a person constantly thinks about work problems, he remains tense, nervous and can not relax. The animal senses this, and as a result also begins to worry.

As the authors of the study point out, dogs don't know about your professional difficulties, job title or conflicts with your boss. But they can definitely sense when their owner is upset, anxious or distracted.

How can you help your dog (and yourself)?

Researchers make a few recommendations on how to minimise the negative impact of your work stress on your dog:

• Practice mindfulness. Meditation, deep breathing, or simply being able to "be in the here and now" can help shift your focus from work to home.

• Create an end-of-workday ritual. For example, a short walk or a change of clothes signals to your brain (and pet) that work time is over.

• Spend quality time with your dog. Put your phone away, play, exercise, or just cuddle with your pet - be fully engaged.

• Watch your body language. Remember that animals are very sensitive to your mood, intonation and gestures.

• Create a calm atmosphere at home. Animals need stability and calm to feel secure.

• Ask for help. If work stress becomes unbearable, consider consulting a psychologist or discuss the situation with management at work.

Study Conclusions

The main conclusion reached by scientists is that work stress does not stay at work - it passes into personal life, and not only people themselves, but also their animals suffer from this. Therefore, it is important to learn how to "switch" in time not to transfer negative emotions to loved ones, including four-legged friends.

Remember: your emotional health directly affects the well-being of your pet. Taking care of yourself is also taking care of those you love.