Are women’s dogs less stressed and healthier than men’s dogs? An investigation in the waiting room of a veterinary hospital

Abstract

Dogs are able of discriminate several human behaviors, behaving of corresponding way. Some studies showed that the dogs possess propensities to be more sociable and less stressed when manipulated by women regarding the dogs manipulated by men. We investigated in this study if the dogs accompanied women or men, showed a similar level of emotional reactions in agreement with the level of emotional reaction of his owners. The study occurred in an unfamiliar environment, in the attendant room of a veterinary hospital, where we evaluated the physiological, behavioral and psychological reaction to the stress of humans and his dogs. Owners answered three questionnaires about demographic data and affinities regarding the dogs themselves. We recorded pulse and blood pressure of the owners. We evaluated the emotional behavior of dogs for ten minutes. Physiological parameters related to the stress were recorded in dogs: cardiac rate and tympanic temperature. After that, we carried on a venopunction to complete hemogram. The results were suggestive of there could be a relationship between the level of emotional reaction of the owners and his respective dogs. Dogs of women were emotionally less reactive than men’s dogs. Therefore, the women’s dogs seem healthier than the dogs of men. We concluded that women and men influence its dogs differently in agreement its behavioral and physiological responses to stress. Keywords: Dogs, Canis lupus familiaris, woman, man.