Dogs Are Kept Awake At Night Worrying Just Like Us
Dogs are a man’s best friend. Well a new study has found that they are even more like us than we first thought. Our furry friends can be kept awake with worries too.
A new study has shown that if a dog has had a particularly stressful or negative interaction in the day then research shows that a dog will stay awake at night thinking about what went wrong.
Researchers monitored the sleep patterns of pet dogs after “positive” experiences like being stroked by their owner and playing games compared to “negative” experiences, such as being separated from their owner and approached threateningly by a stranger.
What they found was a change in the REM sleep. In short, dogs who’d had stressful experiences during the day didn’t sleep as well, and spent more time in REM sleep. This is the active sleep stage characterised by increased heart rate.
Dogs’ personalities also affect the way they respond to stress. The more playful ones are less likely to be stressed compared to dogs that are more reserved.
Your dog is as happy/stressed as you
If you can’t sleep after a bad day then it is likely that your dog will be restless too. Canine skills have progressed over tens of thousands of years. They can pick up on subtle changes in our behaviour like the owner’s body odour, or more physical signs like nail biting, pacing and irritability. It is like they literally absorb our emotions.
Cortisol is a measure of physiological stress. Hair is a good way of measuring long-term trends in stress.
Scientific research has proven that chemical levels of dog’s cortisol levels rose and fell in unison with their owners. They also found female dogs had a stronger connection with their owners stress levels compared to male dogs.
Can dogs get depressed?
Rescue dogs were found to become depressed after finding bodies. The rescue dogs trainers have taken to making up ‘fake’ rescue scenarios and burying themselves in rubble or hiding so that the rescue dogs can have the joy of finding a living person.
You’ve just read, Dogs Are Kept Awake At Night Worrying Just Like Us. Why not read Manager Had To Hire A New Employee.