A new study published in Scientific Reports has revealed that dogs and their owners exhibit synchronized heart rate variability (HRV), indicating a shared emotional state during relaxed interactions. The researchers observed that both the dog’s and owner’s heart rates adapt to each other, but the strongest connection appears during restful moments.
The study found that larger dogs showed higher HRV, while owners with high negative affectivity (concern or worry) tend to have a stronger emotional bond with their dogs. This suggests that dogs mirror their owners’ emotional states, similar to the bonding seen between parents and children in human relationships.
Heart rate variability measures the variation in heartbeat intervals and is associated with the autonomic nervous system’s state of relaxation and recovery. The study revealed that the owner’s high heart rate variability was connected to the dog’s high heart rate variability during free-form resting periods, indicating a synchronized emotional state.
The findings also indicate that physical activity levels adapt differently between dogs and owners, but emotional state synchronization is strongest during rest. This suggests that the connection in heart rate variability reflects the synchrony of emotional states rather than physical activity levels.
The study involved 30 voluntary dog owners with their co-operative breed dogs, which showed physiological and behavioral connections comparable to those found in attachment relationships between humans. The researchers believe that this study deepens our understanding of the interaction between species and the meaning of the emotional connection between dogs and humans.
Source: https://neurosciencenews.com/dog-human-heart-synch-27996