Stress Odor Alters Dogs' Expectations

Dogs can detect human stress through sweat and breath, and the odor can negatively affect their emotional state. In a 2024 University of Bristol study, researchers exposed 18 dogs to samples from unfamiliar people who had completed stressful math and public-speaking tasks or relaxing activities. After smelling the stress samples, the dogs approached an ambiguously placed food bowl more slowly, suggesting they expected it to be empty.

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