Physical interaction with a familiar dog may have benefits that extend beyond companionship, according to research examining how contact between owners and their pets affects the body's response to stressful situations.

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Innsbruck and published in Biological Psychology found that dog owners who were allowed to touch their animals after an initial stressful task showed lower stress levels when they faced a second challenge.

The findings suggest that the physical presence of a familiar pet, particularly when accompanied by direct contact, may play a role in how people respond to subsequent pressure.

Testing the effects of touch under pressure

The research involved 64 dog owners, comprising 51 women and 13 men, with an average age of 34. Each participant brought their own dog, which had to be at least two years old, healthy and comfortable in unfamiliar environments.

To create stressful conditions, researchers asked participants to complete two tasks: a timed general knowledge quiz and a mental arithmetic exercise.

During the quiz, participants had only five seconds to answer each question. The mathematics task required them to count backward by fixed intervals while following a blinking red dot, making it difficult to slow down or concentrate at their own pace.

A researcher monitored participants through video calls and provided negative feedback as part of the testing process.

Each participant completed two separate testing blocks, allowing researchers to compare different forms of interaction with their dogs.

The difference between contact and presence

In one testing block, participants could interact physically with their dogs, including stroking, petting or holding them.

In the other, the dogs remained nearby on short leashes. Their owners could see and speak to them, but physical contact was not permitted.

This distinction allowed researchers to examine whether simply having a dog nearby produced the same effect as being able to touch it.

The study's reported findings indicated that owners who had physical contact with their dogs after the first stressful experience showed lower stress levels during the second task. This points to a possible role for touch beyond the reassurance of an animal's presence.

Why familiar animals may provide reassurance

Dr. Monica Berntsen, a consultant psychologist and neuropsychologist who was not involved in the research, told Newsweek that interacting with a familiar dog may send signals of safety to the nervous system.

She suggested that the combination of warmth, slow rhythmic touch and the presence of a calm, familiar animal could help the body move away from a heightened state of alertness.

Her explanation offers a possible interpretation of the findings, rather than a mechanism established by the study itself.

What the findings mean

The research adds to scientific interest in the relationship between human-animal interaction and stress responses. It also highlights the importance of distinguishing between the emotional comfort of having a pet nearby and the potential effects of direct physical contact.

However, the study involved a relatively small group of 64 dog owners, and the findings described in the report do not establish that petting dogs will reduce stress in every person or situation.

The results provide a basis for further investigation into how interaction with familiar animals may influence responses to pressure, and whether physical contact has a distinct role in that process.