Stress has an odor and dogs can smell it. This is a fact that has been proven by science. When a person is stressed out, their body gives off a chemical called cortisol. This chemical can be detected by dogs, who will then often try to comfort the stressed person.
So next time you’re feeling stressed, don’t be surprised if your furry friend comes to try and give you a hug. They really do know how you’re feeling!
When we think of stress, we usually associate it with feeling overwhelmed or anxious. But did you know that stress also has an odor? And that dogs can smell it?
A new study has found that dogs can indeed sniff out stress in humans. The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, found that dogs are able to distinguish between the scent of stressed and unstressed people with up to 80% accuracy.
So how does this work? When we’re stressed, our body produces cortisol, which is released into our sweat. Dogs have an incredible sense of smell, and they can detect even small changes in odor.
This ability to smell stress could be useful in a number of ways. For example, police dogs are often used to sniff out drugs or bombs. But in the future, they could also be used to sniff out stress in people.
There are a number of potential applications for this. For instance, therapy dogs could be used to help people with anxiety disorders. Or, dogs could be used to screen people for stress before they undergo a high-stakes situation, like a job interview.
Of course, more research is needed to confirm these findings. But the potential implications are intriguing. So next time you’re feeling stressed, remember that your dog may be able to smell it.
