The three best ways to calm down together
You love your dog and want them to feel safe and happy… even when you’re feeling stressed out yourself. But your best friend absorbs and mirrors that stress too. Even if you try to mask it, acting upbeat and friendly when you’re around your pet, they can sense what’s really going on.
Just like your stress can take a toll on your health, the same can happen with your dog. That’s why it’s so important to find ways to lower the volume so you can both calm all the way down.
Dogs Smell Stress
It’s a scientific fact: Dogs can smell human stress[1], and that scent can affect their choices. People and dogs have lived together and evolved together over thousands of years, and getting an instant read of human emotional states was necessary for dogs’ survival.
A new study found smelling stress leads dogs to make different, more pessimistic decisions.[2] The study included 18 dogs and humans they didn’t know. The people performed both relaxing and stressful activities, and the researchers took odor samples collected during both. When the dogs smelled neutral or relaxed odors, they were more likely to approach an unfamiliar treat bowl that might or might not contain treats. But when the dogs smelled stress odors, they didn’t bother going to the bowl. The researchers concluded that the human stress smell led the dogs to not expect a positive outcome (treats).
If a dog can be that affected by a stranger’s stress smell, imagine the impact when it’s someone they love!
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Your Dog Can Catch Your Stress
Not only does your stress smell different to your dog, it’s also contagious (like a yawn, not like a virus).
Situational stress (also called acute stress) is extremely contagious between people and their dogs. And new research shows that long-term chronic stress works the same way.[3] So if you’re dealing with constant stress, so is your dog. And if your pup happens to be a herding breed, like a border collie or an Australian shepherd, they’re even more likely to sync up with your stress.
How Stress Harms You Both
Stress is a regular part of life, but when it becomes overwhelming to your body it can start to affect your health. And the same is true for your dog. Some of your stress signs will be different. For example, anxious dogs may pant a lot (even when they’re not hot), lick their lips, or keep their ears pinned back.
But many stress signs look the same in both you and your dog:
- Trouble focusing
- Being more reactive to sounds
- Social withdrawal
- Pacing
- Lost appetite
- Stomach upset
- Gas
- Diarrhea
When people or dogs feel stressed it can go straight to their digestive system.[4] That’s not surprising because there’s a close connection between gut health and your body’s ability to manage stress. What’s more, these two issues can spiral together: Stress causes imbalances in the gut microbiome (the trillions of bacteria in your gut). Those imbalances ramp up the stress response and cause more stress… which causes more digestive upset… which leads to more stress… it can spiral out of control.
And when you and your dog are stuck in that spiral together, it can feel impossible to escape. But there are steps you can take that will make things better for both of you.
Three Ways You and Your Dog Can De-Stress Together
You can’t really avoid stress, but you and your dog can find ways to deal with daily stress better—together. And just like how stress affects you both similarly, the solutions for managing it work just as well for dogs as they do for people.
1. Physical contact calms both of your systems
Petting or gently massaging your dog is one of the best ways to help their nervous system settle down. And research shows it can tone down your anxiety too. A study found that petting a dog for just 10 minutes reduced anxiety and improved overall mood.[5] Win-win.
2. Exercise out that nervous stress energy
Physical activity can reduce your body’s circulating stress hormones (like adrenaline and cortisol) and increase endorphins. It can help ease muscle tension and deepen your breathing, both of which contribute to feeling more relaxed.
In dogs, stress produces excess energy, and a long walk or an intense game of fetch is the perfect solution.
3. Healthy Stress Responses Start in the Gut
An imbalanced gut microbiome—a condition called dysbiosis—can impair your stress response.[6] A well-balanced gut microbiome that’s full of beneficial probiotic bacteria produces calming chemicals and a healthier response to stress.[7]
And while probiotics will help both you and your dog manage stress, you each need your own for full safety and effectiveness.
The Special “Stress Magician” Probiotic for You
Probiotics affect so much more than digestive health. And one unique probiotic strain works like a stress magician, helping your body switch off stress and switch on calm.
Bifidobacterium longum 1714™ has been scientifically shown to help the body mount a healthy stress response. Your body won’t stay stuck in that stress spiral, letting it settle down and fully rest. Clinical trials show that taking BL 1714™ regularly helps:
- foster a healthy stress response[8]
- increase calmness by promoting theta wave activity in the brain[9]
- deliver a reduced sense of everyday stress[10]
- support healthy sleep quality even during stressful times[11]
Lowering the volume of your stress with BL 1714™ can bring a sense of ease that helps you relax. And when your stress levels calm down, your dog’s can too.
The Right Probiotic for Your Dog
When you give your dog a probiotic specifically formulated for a dog’s microbiome, it can transform their gut health.[12] And that can help your dog manage stress and anxiety much more easily.[13,14]
A clinical study involving healthy dogs and dogs with severe digestive issues showed that a unique blend of spore probiotics made a remarkable difference.[15] The probiotic formula contained strains known to specifically benefit a dog’s microbiome:
- Bacillus subtilis HU58™
- Bacillus licheniformis, and
- Pediococcus acidilactici
All of the dogs in the study got the probiotic formula for 30 days, and by the end, the digestive issues were dramatically reduced, and in some cases disappeared, in the dogs with dysbiosis.[15] And when your dog’s gut microbiome is in good balance, their stress responses will be more balanced too.
Just Thrive Pet Health Products
Healthy Stress Responses Start in a Healthy Gut
You love your dog so much… and they love you. You are in sync, and that’s usually a good thing. But when things get too hairy in your life, your dog may feel it too.
Life throws a lot at you, and your body needs to respond to stress effectively to keep up and stay relaxed.
That’s why you’ll want to keep both of you and your dog’s gut microbiomes in healthy balance. And this is one of those times that you guys can’t share.
Just Calm supports easy stress management while promoting a positive mental outlook and overall feelings of well-being. Just Calm contains Bifidobacterium longum 1714™, the most heavily researched and scientifically verified strain available, along with a perfect combination of stress-managing vitamins—B6, B9, and B12.
Just Pets Probiotic can help maintain your dog’s healthy gut microbiome. Just Pets Probiotic contains Bacillus subtilis HU58™, Bacillus licheniformis, and Pediococcus acidilactici, probiotic strains proven to be effective for keeping your dog’s gut well-balanced and comfortable. You can mix a single capsule of Just Pets Probiotic into your dog’s food every day for a happy, healthy pup.
>> Make your family stress champions with Just Calm for you and Just Pets Probiotic for your dog.
Not sure Just Calm or Just Pets Probiotic will work? We’re confident that when you use each as directed, you’ll both enjoy the benefits. But if you’re not happy, we’ve got your back.
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Sources
- Wilson C, Campbell K, Petzel Z, Reeve C. Dogs can discriminate between human baseline and psychological stress condition odours. PLoS One. 2022 Sep 28;17(9):e0274143.
- Parr-Cortes Z, Müller CT, Talas L, Mendl M, Guest C, Rooney NJ. The odour of an unfamiliar stressed or relaxed person affects dogs' responses to a cognitive bias test. Sci Rep. 2024 Jul 22;14(1):15843.
- Sundman, AS., Van Poucke, E., Svensson Holm, AC. et al. Long-term stress levels are synchronized in dogs and their owners. Sci Rep 9, 7391 (2019).
- Patel, K.V., Hunt, A.B.G., Castillo-Fernandez, J. et al. Impact of acute stress on the canine gut microbiota. Sci Rep 14, 18897 (2024).
- Thelwell ELR. Paws for Thought: A Controlled Study Investigating the Benefits of Interacting with a House-Trained Dog on University Students Mood and Anxiety. Animals (Basel). 2019 Oct 21;9(10):846. doi: 10.3390/ani9100846. PMID: 31640244; PMCID: PMC6826684.
- Rogers, G., Keating, D., Young, R. et al. From gut dysbiosis to altered brain function and mental illness: mechanisms and pathways. Mol Psychiatry 21, 738–748 (2016).
- Ma T, Jin H, Kwok LY, Sun Z, Liong MT, Zhang H. Probiotic consumption relieved human stress and anxiety symptoms possibly via modulating the neuroactive potential of the gut microbiota. Neurobiol Stress. 2021 Jan 12;14:100294. doi: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100294. PMID: 33511258; PMCID: PMC7816019.
- Allen AP, Hutch W, Borre YE, Kennedy PJ, Temko A, Boylan G, Murphy E, Cryan JF, Dinan TG, Clarke G. Bifidobacterium longum 1714 as a translational psychobiotic: modulation of stress, electrophysiology and neurocognition in healthy volunteers. Transl Psychiatry. 2016 Nov 1;6(11):e939.
- Wang H, Braun C, Murphy EF, Enck P. Bifidobacterium longum 1714™ Strain Modulates Brain Activity of Healthy Volunteers During Social Stress. Am J Gastroenterol. 2019 Jul;114(7):1152-1162.
- llen, A., Hutch, W., Borre, Y. et al. Bifidobacterium longum 1714 as a translational psychobiotic: modulation of stress, electrophysiology and neurocognition in healthy volunteers. Transl Psychiatry 6, e939 (2016).
- Moloney GM, et al. Improvements in sleep indices during exam stress due to consumption of a Bifidobacterium longum. Brain Behav Immun Health. 2020 Nov 13;10:100174.
- White R, Atherly T, Guard B, Rossi G, Wang C, Mosher C, Webb C, Hill S, Ackermann M, Sciabarra P, Allenspach K, Suchodolski J, Jergens AE. Randomized, controlled trial evaluating the effect of multi-strain probiotic on the mucosal microbiota in canine idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease. Gut Microbes. 2017 Sep 3;8(5):451-466.
- Sacoor C, Marugg JD, Lima NR, Empadinhas N, Montezinho L. Gut-Brain Axis Impact on Canine Anxiety Disorders: New Challenges for Behavioral Veterinary Medicine. Vet Med Int. 2024 Jan 23;2024:2856759. doi: 10.1155/2024/2856759. PMID: 38292207; PMCID: PMC10827376.
- Sacoor C, Marugg JD, Lima NR, Empadinhas N, Montezinho L. Gut-Brain Axis Impact on Canine Anxiety Disorders: New Challenges for Behavioral Veterinary Medicine. Vet Med Int. 2024 Jan 23;2024:2856759.
- Matei MC, et al. Natural Endotoxemia in Dogs-A Hidden Condition That Can Be Treated with a Potential Probiotic Containing Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis and Pediococcus acidilactici: A Study Model. Animals (Basel). 2021 May 11;11(5):1367.
