HealthLinksSC.com | 91 demonstrated that by sniffing the sweat and breath of 36 both familiar and unfamiliar candidates, four untrained dogs could pick out the stressed adults with 93.75% accuracy. In this study, stress levels were measured by increased blood pressure and heart rate after attempting to solve a difficult math problem. The results were published in PLOS ONE in September 2022. With the limited intelligence of a human toddler, our fourlegged friends cannot comprehend exactly what emotion we are experiencing or its cause. Neither can they differentiate between good stress and bad stress, but they can effectively employ an estimated 600 million olfactory receptors to read our body chemistry and any changes that may be occurring. As much as one-third of a dog’s brain is devoted to decoding smells, producing results that are exponentially better than that of humans. Trained emotional/medical support dogs can recognize the adrenaline-cortisol emissions that precede a panic attack, the high cortisol levels of an autistic child becoming stressed and the chemical changes that indicate an oncoming migraine, seizure or heart attack. They can also alert for some medical conditions and breast, lung and colorectal cancers. In addition to their sensitivity to human sweat and breath changes, dogs often use other cues to better understand their owners’ moods and increasing anxiety. They are, typically, astute observers of human facial expressions, posture, movement and tone of voice, and their unconditional love knows no bounds in trying to relieve discomfort, even when they have no idea what is causing stress. When Gabby senses anxiety building in Kosiek, she places her paws strategically to apply deep pressure therapy. “She automatically knows where to apply pressure,” said Kosiek. “Also, if I have a phone in my hand, she will take her snout and knock it out of my hand so I will look at her. This distracts me from my pain and has me focus on her. I get the ‘feel good’ endorphins when I get to look at and play with a cute pup that looks like a floppy teddy bear.” Touch and distraction are two common methods pets seem to use instinctively to help their owners who are becoming anxious or stressed. Offering a paw or a head on the lap are attempts at comforting. Most dogs try to get as close as they can to offer body contact and support; however, some will choose to give space until their owners become more receptive. They stay nearby and wait for the right moment to approach and cuddle. Whether you own a highly trained service dog like Gabby, a devoted emotional support dog or a mixed-breed mutt that just makes you feel a little less alone, our beloved canine pets cheerfully devote their lives to offering nonjudgmental comfort, to being our trusted confidants as we share our deepest worries and fears, to distracting us from the most painful memories and emotions and to sharing the sad moments as well as the happy ones. Perhaps it’s time to consider adopting a four-legged therapist.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjcyNTM1