As if we needed another reason to love our dogs...new research shows that it doesn’t take long for pups to help us unwind.
New Study: Playing With a Dog For Just This Long Can Reduce Your Stress
Published on May 11, 2025
There’s nothing like having a fluffy dog by your side, ready to give you warm cuddles and sloppy kisses—and don’t even get us started on those tail wags! Luckily for us dog people, it turns out that playing with your furry best friend, even a short amount of time, could help you stress less.
Researchers of a new study published in Plos One aimed to learn how quickly human-dog interactions could lower stress levels. To do so, the 12 researchers based in Thailand and one from America “investigated stress levels and associated biomarkers in dogs and students simultaneously.”
They looked at the salivary cortisol concentrations (the amount of stress hormone present in the saliva), blood pressure, and pulse rate of 122 undergraduate students age 18 or older, who were “experiencing self-reported moderate to high stress.” Researchers also collected the saliva and fecal matter of the six participating dogs, both male and female between 3 and 6 years old.
None of the dogs—five chihuahuas and one Shetland sheepdog—were certified or had been involved in a “canine-assisted intervention” before, and their owners were not present during the study.
Researchers examined participants before an encounter with a dog, immediately before interacting with a dog, and 15 minutes after playing with a dog.
Playing included:
- Looking or smiling at the dog
- Calling the dog’s name
- Touching or patting the dog
- Giving the dog treats
- Holding or hugging the dog
Researchers found that just the “expectation of interacting with dogs” lowered the students’ stress levels, as well as their pulse rate and salivary cortisol. Participants reported even lower stress levels after meeting the dog and learning its name and personality traits.
But the most significant change presented after the students played with the dog, when their stress levels decreased by 33.5%.
The dogs, who were reportedly healthy and “comfortable with strangers,” also seemed to experience a boost in mood. Researchers noted that they “appeared to enjoy interacting with the students and showed signs of affection and engagement, which suggests that increased adrenal activity and higher cortisol concentrations were due to positive stimulation and not negative stress.”
Discussing human-dog companionship, the study’s authors explained that just seeing, hearing, touching, and playing with dogs can offer valuable support to humans experiencing stress. They further stated, “This emotional co-regulation is unique and distinct from human-human interactions during counseling sessions because the dogs can help students feel more at ease and less concerned about being evaluated.”
Notably, the study did not include any participants who “reported a fear, dislike, or allergy to dogs.”
The study’s authors concede that more research is needed and suggest that a longer study would provide more reliable results. Still, they believe that both certified and non-certified dogs could benefit humans’ mental health.
You likely didn’t need another reason to give Fido a cuddle, but isn’t it nice to know science says it’s good for both of you?
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