论文标题：Long-term stress levels are synchronized in dogs and their owners

期刊：Scientific Reports

作者：Ann-Sofie Sundman, Enya Van Poucke, Ann-Charlotte Svensson Holm, Åshild Faresjö, Elvar Theodorsson, Per Jensen, Lina S. V. Roth

发表时间：2019/06/06

数字识别码：10.1038/s41598-019-43851-x

原文链接： http://t.cn/AiNSYZZi

微信链接：https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/b-PYG_QXYg32Y8ld5cOekw

根据《科学报告》发表的一项涉及58只宠物狗及其主人的研究Long-term stress levels are synchronized in dogs and their owners，狗主人的长期压力与狗的压力水平上升相关。

图1 图源：Pixabay

瑞典林雪平大学的Lina Roth及同事测量了33只喜乐蒂牧羊犬和25只边境牧羊犬及其主人的毛发皮质醇浓度，以此确定他们在一年时间内的压力水平。作者发现，当狗主人的皮质醇水平上升时，其宠物狗的皮质醇水平也会上升——在母犬身上表现尤其明显。这意味着宠物狗及其主人的压力水平可能是同步的。这种关联在冬季和夏季也能观察到，这表明皮质醇水平的季节性波动没有影响压力的同步。

图2：狗的毛发皮质醇浓度受主人的毛发皮质醇浓度、性格特征的影响。图源：Sundman等

作者还让狗主人完成了两份经验证的问卷，评估了狗的特征，如兴奋性、训练响应性、攻击性或恐惧；也评估了狗主人的性格特征，如外向性、亲和性或情绪不稳定性。他们发现，狗的个性（根据主人划分）对其主人的毛发皮质醇浓度几乎没有影响。但是，狗主人的尽责性和开放性与宠物狗的皮质醇水平升高相关，而情绪不稳定性与宠物狗的皮质醇水平下降相关。这表明宠物狗可能反映主人的压力水平，但狗主人不会响应狗的压力水平。

作者认为以上发现提供了更进一步的证据，印证了人类与狗之间的紧密关系，这或许有助于提升狗狗的福利水平。

摘要：This study reveals, for the first time, an interspecific synchronization in long-term stress levels. Previously, acute stress, has been shown to be highly contagious both among humans and between individuals of other species. Here, long-term stress synchronization in dogs and their owners was investigated. We studied 58 dog-human dyads and analyzed their hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) at two separate occasions, reflecting levels during previous summer and winter months. The personality traits of both dogs and their owners were determined through owner-completed Dog Personality Questionnaire (DPQ) and human Big Five Inventory (BFI) surveys. In addition, the dogs’ activity levels were continuously monitored with a remote cloud-based activity collar for one week. Shetland sheepdogs (N = 33) and border collies (N = 25), balanced for sex, participated, and both pet dogs and actively competing dogs (agility and obedience) were included to represent different lifestyles. The results showed significant interspecies correlations in long-term stress where human HCC from both summer and winter samplings correlated strongly with dog HCC (summer: N = 57, χ2 = 23.697, P < 0.001, β = 0.235; winter: N = 55, χ2 = 13.796, P < 0.001, β = 0.027). Interestingly, the dogs’ activity levels did not affect HCC, nor did the amount of training sessions per week, showing that the HCC levels were not related to general physical activity. Additionally, there was a seasonal effect in HCC. However, although dogs’ personalities had little effects on their HCC, the human personality traits neuroticism, conscientiousness, and openness significantly affected dog HCC. Hence, we suggest that dogs, to a great extent, mirror the stress level of their owners.

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（来源：科学网）