Our Dog’s Role in Our Emotional Regulation
As dog owners, we all know how much love, peace, and happiness our pups can give us just by existing as their cute and loyal selves. Having a dog, or even simply being around a dog, can have a noticeable positive affect on our mood.
Our ability to bond and connect with our pets has a co-regulatory effect in which both parties (you and your pup) reap the benefits of an enhanced mood and feeling of wellbeing. This article dives into the evidenced based conclusions made on how and why our dogs can have such a therapeutic effect on both our physical and mental wellbeing.
The psychological benefits we reap as dog owners include:
Co-regulation: Through physical contact such as holding, petting, and cuddling your dog we can regulate our nervous systems, as well as regulate our dog’s nervous system.
This co-regulation can reduce feelings of stress and anxiety in both parties as well as strengthen the bond you have with your pup.
This effect is called “co-” regulation because of its effects on both parties involved (you and your pup), your dog can reap the same positive effects and benefits as you through your connection and bond.
Polyvagal Theory: This theory developed in 1994 by neuroscientist and psychologist Stephen Porges essentially asserts that our inability to manage our negative emotions (also known as emotional dysregulation) is caused by an imbalance in our automatic nervous system, specifically the Vagus nerve.
The Vagus nerve is responsible for regulating our internal organs as well as our social and emotional behaviors.
Scientists have found that interacting with dogs has positive and balancing effects on our Vagus nerve and therefore our ability to emotionally regulate.
Depression & Anxiety Reduction: It has been shown time, and time again, that interacting with a dog (whether it be yours, someone else’s, or a therapy dog) can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.
It’s also been evidenced that it can also reduce physiological arousal (such as blood pressure and heart rate), and many times improve our social skills due to improved mood and feelings of connection.
Feel-Good Chemicals: We all have “happy” hormones/neurotransmitters in our body that when triggered can help us to feel good in different ways, these chemicals are dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin.
Being in contact with a dog has the ability to release all of these happy chemicals creating feelings of peace, happiness, and connection. Having a healthy mix of all three of these happy chemicals can boost our mood and combat negative thought patterns.
Dopamine is known as the “reward” neurotransmitter, is associated with feelings of pleasure, satisfaction, and motivation. It is typically released when we hit a certain goal, attain something we want, or experience something pleasurable.
It is no secret that being around a dog, petting a dog, and playing a dog can bring on feelings of satisfaction, pleasure, and even motivation.
Serotonin is the neurotransmitter that is mostly involved in regulating our mood throughout the day. It is also associated with sleep and wake cycles, pain, and our overall feelings of wellbeing.
A lack of serotonin can have depressing affects on our mind and body; slowing down nearly all of our physiological and psychological systems.
Being around dogs has been shown to boost our serotonin, and therefore our mood.
Long-term interactions and relationships with pets has been shown to have positive long-term effects on our mood stability and feelings of wellbeing.
Oxytocin is known commonly as the “love” chemical, which is actually quite accurate! Oxytocin is the neurotransmitter that floods our brain when we are feeling loved, accepted, and comforted.
It is oftentimes triggered by physical contact, words of affirmation from others, and feelings of trust or bond with others.
This explanation makes it clear to see how having a dog would encourage this chemical to be present in our minds. Having a dog you can love, pet, hold, snuggle, and be close with that makes you feel unconditionally loved and accepted can do wonders on our mental health in general.
Practicing Mindfulness: Mindfulness is described by psychology professionals as the ability to be present, aware of ourselves and our surroundings, while not being overly reactive or overwhelmed by it all.
While being mindful is something everyone can technically do, those who intentionally practice this state of being tend to be more emotionally stable and having better moods. There are several ways to practice mindfulness in our daily lives, and interacting with our pets has the ability to keep us aware and present.
Being a pet owner is never a passive experience or hobby; it is a commitment of time, energy, money, and care that we actively choose to invest ourselves into on a daily basis. Our pets force us to be mindful and present through play, petting, grooming, training, feeding, and more.
Having pets is a choice and commitment that we make; our pets deserve the time and energy that we put into them. This feeling of being able to be present can fight feelings of depression and anxiety, as well as counteract negative thought and behavior patterns.
Social Connection: Feelings of being lonely and isolated can make us feel depressed and anxious through our everyday life. We all need others that we can rely on for things such as love, care, comfort, advice, or just an open ear.
This social connection is key to helping us feel like we are part of something greater than just our individual selves. It helps us see the bigger picture of life when it comes to creating lasting connections and friendships with others.
Owning a dog can curate these same feelings of connectedness, even if we communicate differently. Dogs provide us with loyalty, companionship, and unconditional love which are key components to feeling socially connected.
Our social connections have strong ties to our feelings of worthiness and wellbeing. The more strongly connected we feel, the more likely we are able to behave and think in positive and uplifting ways.
Endorphins: Endorphins are the hormones released by our bodies through physical activity such as exercise, massage, and eating. These hormones help to relieve stress and pain stored in the body by having an opiate-like effect on our body.
This sensation can be described as physically and emotionally euphoric at times. It is extremely beneficial to have these endorphins naturally released; the benefits include decreased feelings of stress, depression, and anxiety, pain relief, weight regulation, and can even boost our self esteem.
Having a dog can be an extremely active responsibility. One way our dogs promote the release of endorphins is through the exercise we get when playing frisbee, ball, training, hiking, running and walking our pups. The endorphins that are released have anti-anxiety and anti-pain effects that reduce stress overall.
Cortisol Reduction: Being around and owning dogs has been proven to be able to reduce our cortisol levels in our bodies. Cortisol is a stress hormone that works largely as an alarm system within our body; it is associated with the fight or flight response, stress and anxiety, as well as an important factor in our sleep/wake cycles.
While cortisol is necessary for many functions in our bodies, too much cortisol in the body can have drastic negative effects on our physical and emotional wellbeing.
An excess of this hormone can cause complications such as stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia, as well as physical ailments like weight gain, bloating and inflammation, as well as heart disease.
Being around and owning dogs lowers our cortisol levels resulting in feelings of relaxation and peace.
Conclusion
It is clear that having a furry friend, like a dog, around you on a regular bases can be extremely beneficial to our health and overall wellbeing. Theres good reason why more and more medical/dental/psychiatric offices are including therapy and emotional support dogs in their clinic due to the evidenced positive effects on our emotions.
Even large corporations are beginning to let employees bring their dogs to work with them as a company benefit; these companies understand the positive psychological implications this brings to their employees and office in general, subsequently boosting moral and productivity.
There are so many reasons why dogs are man’s best friend; the connection, bond, and feeling of belonging that is co-reciprocated between us is something that is not replicable by many other things. May this article be a reminder to stay mindful and to continue to put the love and time into your furry friend as much as you are able; you will reap the benefits from your care ten-fold.
Written By: Jessica L Hays
Professional Dog Walker, Social Media Associate, & Community Outreach Associate
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2023, March 1). Americans note overwhelming positive mental health impact of their pets in new poll; dogs and cats. Psychiatry.org. https://www.psychiatry.org/News-room/News-Releases/Positive-Mental-Health-Impact-of-Pets
Gee, N. R., Rodriguez, K. E., Fine, A. H., & Trammell, J. P. (2021, March 30). Dogs supporting human health and well-being: A biopsychosocial approach. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8042315/
Health Direct. (2023, October 17). Dopamine. healthdirect.gov. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/dopamine#:~:text=of%20the%20brain.-,What%20is%20the%20role%20of%20dopamine%3F,movement%20and%20other%20body%20functions.
LeWine, H. E. (2023, June 13). Oxytocin: The love hormone. Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/oxytocin-the-love-hormone
Radius Health. (2023, December 15). How pets contribute to mental health - radias health. RADIAS Health -. https://www.radiashealth.org/how-pets-contribute-to-mental-health/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwzva1BhD3ARIsADQuPnXyjZNvBlMGgCUoBVc_GT-xDJ8Q_2RFSeujcrtoKbvdZ1QdrC1oOqkaAgWKEALw_wcB
Watson, S. (2023, November 20). Serotonin: The natural mood booster. Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/serotonin-the-natural-mood-booster
