How dogs prevent us from going barking mad

It is said that dogs choose their owners according to their energy level and personality, and not the other way around. The dog is a companion that usually becomes part of a person’s life at a key moment, and hence has the potential to turn that life around. It is generally accepted that spending time with pets is beneficial and helps ease anxiety, stress and depression. The most recent scientific report on the positive aspects of owning a dog or cat, published in December 2023 in the International Journal of Current Science Research and Review (IJCSRR), describes how playing and spending time with a pet reduces levels of cortisol — the main stress hormone.

“A dog helps us to manage our emotions because, when an individual is stressed, its companionship not only calms them, but strengthens the bond between them, allowing the owners to get to know themselves better, understanding both their actions and reactions and those of the animal,” explains vet Mercè Giménez Genovés, who coordinates the Vida Natural Animal project. “Dogs are like sponges, as they are able to convert the emotions of their owners into physical symptoms and detect when they are angry, sad, happy or nervous,” she adds.

New research published in the scientific journal Science Daily last March by experts from the faculty of science, department of biotechnology, Konkuk University, South Korea, titled Psychophysiological and Emotional Effects of Human-Dog Interactions, has shown how playing with dogs, or just walking them, increases the relative strength of alpha wave oscillations in the brain. The research thereby corroborates the positive effects of animal-assisted therapies, using dogs in particular. “I see the benefits that the company of a dog brings to many owners on a daily basis, but it is very important that doctors, geriatricians and psychiatrists corroborate these benefits,” says Dr. Manuel Lázaro Rubio, member of Madrid’s Official College of Veterinarians (COVELMA) and the Group of Specialists in Clinical Ethology (GRECA).

Helena Díaz Torrejón, head of psychiatry at the University Hospital of Torrejón, Madrid, explains how dogs contribute positively to their owners’ social, affective and cognitive spheres. “In the hospital, we do dog-assisted therapy, and we carry out cognitive dynamics with optimal results in terms of improving memory, attention, concentration and other neurological functionalities,” she says. According to Díaz, all this has an impact on mood, since a dog acts as a catalyst and allows the person to move away from depressive states and even increase their potential.

But according to Lázaro, it is important that the individual finds the animal entertaining and/ or comforting: “If you want a companion dog, you first have to like animals,” he says. “It’s no use taking a dog to a nursing home if the residents are not into it, because it can backfire.” He adds that “a dog can also generate dependence. Dogs work very well for therapy, but you have to be able to identify the ideal candidates. I know of a case in a nursing home where dogs were taken in twice a week for interaction, but one resident became obsessed with the dogs’ arrival. It had generated dependence, and this is counterproductive and did not benefit the resident, so the visits were suspended.”

Spending quality time with your dog

Owning a dog involves feeding, cleaning, vaccinations, and training. If these basic needs are met, quality time can follow. “A dog gives you affection and a sense of empathy. So they can help transform someone who finds it hard to express their feelings,” explains Alexis Raciorero, psychologist and Gestalt therapist, who is also the owner of a Golden Retriever. “Dogs live in the present. They are able to tune in to what is happening around them, which is why practicing mindfulness with them is very effective.” One beneficial activity is “informal meditation,” which consists of walking your dog, “without listening to music and without a cell phone, just you and the dog in silence, in a park or in the city,” she adds.

Finally, Racionero stresses that dogs have the capacity to combat loneliness: “With a dog you feel accompanied. During and immediately after lockdown, there was a boom in dog adoption as, faced with the prospect of further lockdowns and loneliness, people sought company.”

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