A study from the University of Jyväskylä showed that the heart rate variability of a dog and its owner adapt to each other during interaction. High heart rate variability is associated with relaxation, while low heart rate variability indicates stimulation. The study deepens our understanding of the emotional connection between a dog and its owner, including its underlying physiological mechanisms.
Emotional connection improves interaction in human relationships. Emotional synchronization in the interaction between a child and his parents is essential for emotional attachment. The relationship between a dog and its owner is also based on attachment, but little is known about its physiological mechanisms.
The heart rate variability of a dog and its owner adapt to each other
In a study conducted at the University of Jyväskylä, Department of Psychology and Jyväskylä Interdisciplinary Brain Research Center, it was found that the heart rate variability of a dog and its owner are interconnected during interaction. Heart rate variability, that is, the variation in the intervals of heartbeats, indicates the state of the autonomic nervous system. High heart rate variability is associated with a state of relaxation and recovery, while low heart rate variability indicates stimulation or tension, such as stress during an exam or sports performance. In this study, high owner heart rate variability was related to high dog heart rate variability, and vice versa. Additionally, the physical activity levels of a dog and its owner adapted to each other during the study.
Different connections for activity and heart rate variability.
The connections of heart rate variability and activity levels between a dog and its owner were monitored during specific interaction tasks. Both heart rate and activity level were interconnected between the dogs and their owners, but at different times. During free-form rest periods, high owner heart rate variability was related to high dog heart rate variability. In other words, when the owner was relaxed the dog was also relaxed. Additionally, the owner’s and dog’s activity levels were similar during assigned tasks, such as playing. Although physical activity is known to have an impact on heart rate, the strongest connections of these variables between dog and owner were found in different situations and do not fully explain each other. This suggests that the connection in heart rate variability reflects the synchrony of emotional state rather than activity levels.
“The interconnection in heart rate variability between the dog and its owner during rest periods can be explained by the fact that in those cases there were no external tasks, but the two could react more to each other’s state naturally” , says Doctoral. Researcher Aija Koskela.
Owner’s Temperament Related to Dog’s Heart Rate Variability
The study also investigated several background factors for the interconnection of dog and owner heart rate variability. Larger dogs had greater heart rate variability. In addition, the high variability of the dog’s heart rate is also explained by the owner’s behavior. negative affectivity, a temperament trait that reflects a person’s tendency to worry easily about negative things. This type of owner tends to develop a strong emotional bond with the dog, and therefore the sheepdogs in this study possibly had a greater sense of security with these owners.
The dog also influences the owner.
A surprising finding in the study was that the owner’s heart rate variability was best explained by the dog’s heart rate variability, although the owner’s activity level and body mass index were also taken into account in the analysis , which are known to affect heart rate. .
“We exceptionally investigated the heart rate and activity level of a dog and its owner simultaneously, while previous studies have commonly focused on the perspective of the human or the dog,” says the leader of the study, a researcher at Academia Miiamaaria. Kujala. “The challenging research environment provides a better opportunity to investigate interactive aspects.”
This study indicates that the emotional states of dogs and their owners, as well as the reactions of their nervous system, partially adapt to each other during interaction. The same mechanisms that strengthen human emotional attachment also appear to support the relationship between a dog and its owner. This study deepens our understanding of interspecies interaction and the meaning of the emotional connection between dogs and humans.
The interaction research involved dogs bred to cooperate
The study was mainly funded by the Finnish Research Council and the Agria & Svenska Kennelklubben Research Fund. In total 30 volunteer dog owners participated with their dogs. The dogs represented breeds refined to cooperate with humans, such as sheepdogs and retrievers. The research findings are in line with previous studies, which have suggested that breeds selected for cooperation are particularly sensitive to reacting to the behavior and personality traits of their owners. The project will then attempt to shed light more specifically on the influential mechanisms involved in this phenomenon.
The study was published on October 24, 2024 in Scientific Reports: Koskela, A., Törnqvist, H., Somppi, S. et al. Behavioral and emotional co-modulation during dog-owner interaction as measured by heart rate variability and activity. science representative 14, 25201 (2024).