You might already suspect that spending time with a dog makes you feel calmer, but how much do dogs really reduce our stress — and what does the science say about it? Recent coverage, including a Washington Post podcast episode on how dogs make us calmer and happier, has helped bring this question into the spotlight.

Researchers are now measuring what many dog owners have felt for years: from lower blood pressure to gentler brain activity, dogs can meaningfully shift our bodies away from stress. The effect isn’t magic, and it doesn’t replace medical care or therapy, but it can be a powerful, practical tool for everyday stress management.

Person relaxing with a dog, illustrating the calming bond between humans and dogs
Human–dog connection, as highlighted by The Washington Post, is increasingly being studied for its measurable impact on stress.

In this guide, we’ll break down what current research (up to late 2025) can reasonably say about dogs and stress, how big the effect might be, and how you can intentionally use time with a dog to support your mental well-being.


Why We’re So Stressed — And Where Dogs Fit In

Chronic stress is now woven into daily life: long work hours, constant notifications, financial pressures, and, for many, lingering uncertainty after the pandemic years. This constant “on” mode keeps our sympathetic nervous system — the fight-or-flight system — humming in the background.

The challenge is that our bodies were not designed to stay in this high-alert state all day. Over time, chronic stress is linked with:

  • Increased blood pressure and cardiovascular strain
  • Poor sleep and difficulty winding down at night
  • Higher levels of anxiety, irritability, and low mood
  • Weaker immune response and slower recovery from illness

Dogs are not a cure for any of these issues, but they can act as a gentle, accessible counterweight — triggering our “rest and digest” system, encouraging movement, and providing connection when we feel isolated.


What the Science Says: How Much Do Dogs Reduce Stress?

Over the past two decades, dozens of studies have explored how interacting with dogs changes our hormones, heart rate, and subjective sense of stress. While methods and quality vary, several patterns consistently emerge.

1. Short Sessions With Dogs Can Lower Stress Markers

In controlled experiments, people who spend 5–20 minutes calmly petting or interacting with a dog often show:

  • Lower cortisol (a key stress hormone) compared with people who sit quietly or interact with a stuffed animal.
  • Reduced heart rate and blood pressure during and shortly after the interaction.
  • Self-reported stress drops — people simply feel less stressed and more at ease.
“In multiple lab and real-world studies, brief interactions with dogs have been associated with modest but meaningful decreases in physiological stress markers. The effect is not dramatic like a medication, but it is consistent enough to be clinically interesting.”
— Summary of findings from human–animal interaction research reviews (e.g., NIH/HABRI-supported studies)

2. Therapy and Facility Dogs Reduce Stress in High-Pressure Settings

Studies in hospitals, nursing homes, and universities show that “therapy dog” visits can:

  • Reduce reported stress and anxiety in patients, staff, and students
  • Improve mood during short-term stressful events (like exam weeks)
  • Sometimes reduce the need for as-needed anxiety medication in certain hospital units (though findings here are mixed and modest)

These programs usually rely on brief, structured interactions — often 10–30 minutes — suggesting even short contact can matter.

3. Living With a Dog May Offer Ongoing Stress Protection

Long-term studies are harder to conduct, so we need to be careful not to overstate. Still, several large observational studies have associated dog ownership with:

  • Lower perception of loneliness and higher daily positive affect
  • More regular light-to-moderate physical activity (thanks, daily walks)
  • Potential cardiovascular benefits over time, especially in people who live alone

These benefits likely come from a combination of movement, routine, and social connection — not from the dog alone.


How Dogs Calm Our Brain and Body

Several biological and psychological mechanisms help explain why dogs can be so soothing.

  1. Touch and “social grooming” effects
    Slow, gentle petting mimics social touch, which can release oxytocin — sometimes called the “bonding hormone” — and reduce cortisol. This combination nudges the body away from fight-or-flight and toward a more relaxed state.
  2. Attention shifting
    When you focus on a dog’s breathing, expression, or playful behavior, your attention shifts away from ruminative thoughts (“What if I fail?” “What did that email mean?”). This acts a bit like a mindful grounding exercise.
  3. Routine and predictability
    Dogs need regular feeding, walking, and play. These predictable routines create “anchors” in your day, which can stabilize mood and reduce the sense of chaos that often drives stress.
  4. Movement and outdoor time
    Walking a dog increases daily steps and often gets you outside. Even light activity and brief daylight exposure can improve sleep and lower stress over time.
  5. Social connection
    Dogs often act as social bridges: people are more likely to greet you in the park, strike up conversation, or simply smile. That sense of connection, even in small doses, buffers stress.
Woman sitting on a couch gently petting a relaxed dog
Gentle, rhythmic petting mimics soothing social touch, which can help lower cortisol and signal safety to the nervous system.

So, How Much Can a Dog Really Reduce Your Stress?

Because every person and dog is different, scientists tend to describe the effect in relative terms rather than promising exact numbers. Putting the research together, here’s a realistic picture:

  • In-the-moment relief: 5–20 minutes of calm interaction with a friendly dog can produce a noticeable decrease in stress for many people — comparable to a short mindfulness break or breathing exercise.
  • Daily buffering effect: Regular, positive time with a dog often makes stressful days feel more manageable, partly through routine, companionship, and movement.
  • Long-term impact: Over months and years, people who integrate dog care into a healthy lifestyle may see modest improvements in mood, resilience, and in some cases cardiovascular markers. But this depends heavily on the person’s overall habits.

It’s important to note that:

  • Not everyone finds dogs relaxing — allergies, phobias, or past experiences matter.
  • A poorly matched dog (too energetic, reactive, or fearful) can actually increase stress.
  • Caring for a dog is a real responsibility, not just a wellness “hack.”

Practical Ways to Use Time With Dogs to Lower Stress

Whether you already share your home with a dog or simply enjoy them from a distance, you can intentionally structure your interactions to get more of the calming benefits.

If You Have a Dog at Home

  1. Schedule a “decompression walk.”
    Once a day, take a 10–20 minute walk at a relaxed pace with your dog. Leave podcasts and emails behind. Notice your dog’s pace, sniffing, and curiosity; let that be your focus.
  2. Create a 5-minute petting ritual.
    After work or before bed, sit or lie down and give your dog slow, gentle strokes. Breathe with awareness, matching your breath to their relaxed rhythm where possible.
  3. Use your dog as a “break reminder.”
    Every few hours, when your dog nudges you or glances your way, treat it as a cue: stand up, stretch, toss a toy, or walk to the kitchen and back together.
  4. Practice “co-regulation.”
    If you feel overwhelmed, sit on the floor near your dog. Place a hand on them (if they enjoy touch) and bring attention to their breathing, warmth, and weight. Let your nervous system borrow their calm.

If You Don’t Have a Dog (Or Can’t Right Now)

  • Visit a friend or family member with a dog and be honest that you’d love a bit of “dog time.”
  • Look for therapy dog programs at universities, hospitals, libraries, or community centers; many welcome visitors during scheduled hours.
  • Volunteer at a shelter or rescue if you’re able — walking or socializing dogs can help both you and them, though busy shelter environments can sometimes be overstimulating.
  • Offer to be a backup walker or sitter for neighbors; even occasional walks can build in soothing, dog-centered breaks.
Person walking a dog along a peaceful path at sunset
Slow, device-free walks with a dog combine movement, nature, and companionship — a trio that gently lowers daily stress.

Common Obstacles — And How to Navigate Them

Even with the best intentions, using time with a dog to reduce stress can be complicated. Here are frequent challenges people face and realistic ways to address them.

“I’m worried that adding a dog will just give me more to stress about.”

This is a valid concern. Dogs require time, money, and emotional bandwidth. For some people, especially during unstable life stages, getting a dog can increase stress.

  • Consider fostering or dog-sitting before adopting.
  • Choose a dog whose age, energy, and temperament fit your lifestyle.
  • Create a shared care plan with family or housemates in advance.

“My dog is anxious or reactive, and walks are actually stressful.”

You’re not alone. Many people love their dogs fiercely and still feel tension on every walk.

  1. Work with a qualified, reward-based trainer or behavior professional.
  2. Use management: walk at quieter times, choose low-traffic routes, or use visual barriers like hedges.
  3. Build in calm indoor games (sniffing, puzzle feeders, training) to reduce the pressure on walks to be “perfect.”

“I love dogs but have allergies or housing restrictions.”

In this case, short, planned visits with dogs in outdoor or well-ventilated settings may be more realistic. Always prioritize your health and housing agreements; the goal is to lower stress, not add new problems.


A Real-Life Example: Turning Dog Time Into a Daily Reset

Consider “Alex,” a composite of several professionals interviewed in recent human–animal interaction research and media reports. Alex works long hours in a high-pressure job and often felt wired late into the night.

After adopting a calm adult rescue dog, Alex didn’t magically become stress-free. In fact, the first few weeks were more stressful: house training, schedule changes, vet appointments. But with some structure, the dog gradually became a key part of Alex’s coping toolkit.

  • Morning and evening walks created firm “bookends” to each workday.
  • A 10-minute petting and breathing ritual replaced late-night doomscrolling.
  • Casual conversations with other dog walkers chipped away at a sense of isolation.

Over several months, Alex reported fewer stress spikes, better sleep, and a greater sense of meaning. The workload hadn’t changed — but the way Alex’s nervous system processed it had, in part thanks to daily, predictable moments of connection with the dog.

Person working on a laptop at home while a calm dog rests nearby
For many people, dogs don’t remove stressors — they create reliable pockets of calm within a demanding day.

What We Still Don’t Know (Yet)

As the Washington Post episode highlighted, research on dogs and stress is growing, but far from complete. Here are key open questions scientists are still working on:

  • Who benefits most? Are dogs especially helpful for people who live alone, older adults, or those with specific mental health conditions?
  • Which interactions matter most? Is calm petting better than play? Does walking offer unique benefits over indoor time?
  • How do individual dog traits matter? Temperament, size, age, and training likely influence how soothing a dog feels.
  • How long do benefits last? We know about short-term changes, but long-term physiological impacts are harder to study and are still being mapped.

As more rigorous, large-scale studies are completed, we’ll have a clearer picture. For now, it’s safest to treat dog-based stress relief as a supportive, evidence-informed practice — not a guaranteed intervention.


Turning the Science Into Your Daily Practice

If you’d like to gently harness the stress-reducing power of dogs, you can start small and observe what truly helps you.

  1. Notice your baseline.
    For a few days, quietly rate your stress (0–10) before and after being around a dog. This can be a pet, a therapy dog visit, or even a neighbor’s dog.
  2. Experiment with formats.
    Try a walk, quiet petting, gentle play, or even just sitting nearby while a dog sleeps. Different interactions may have different effects on you.
  3. Build one small, repeatable ritual.
    Choose one dog-centered practice you can realistically repeat most days — a 10-minute walk, an evening cuddle, or a late-afternoon fetch break.
  4. Combine with other tools.
    Layer dog time with deep breathing, stretching, or stepping outside into daylight to gently amplify the calming effect.
  5. Stay honest about limits.
    If stress or mood symptoms remain overwhelming, reach out to a healthcare or mental health professional. Dogs are wonderful; they’re not a replacement for treatment.
Person practicing mindfulness on the floor with a relaxed dog lying beside them
Even short, intentional rituals that pair mindful breathing with time beside a dog can become a soothing anchor in your day.

A Compassionate Closing Thought

In a world that often asks us to move faster and produce more, dogs invite us to do something radically simple: pause, breathe, and be present with another living being. The research suggests that this pause can lower cortisol, ease our nervous systems, and make tough days feel a little more manageable.

You don’t need to become a “dog person,” adopt impulsively, or expect miracles. Instead, consider where a bit of intentional dog time might fit into your life — a weekly therapy dog visit, a neighbor’s dog walk, or a small ritual with the dog already sleeping at your feet.

Your next step can be as modest as scheduling a 10-minute, distraction-free moment with a dog this week and noticing how your body feels before and after. Let curiosity, not pressure, guide you.