You might already know that your pets seem to be able to pick up on our mood ― but did you know their heart rate can reflect our own too?
Pet owners are all too familiar with that feeling of synchronicity with their furry friends. And with a recent seasonal spike in flu cases, you may have wondered whether your precocious pooch has noticed your new sniffle too.
After all, research suggests the animals may be able to sniff out cancers.
To work out whether the same could be true for your cold, HuffPost UK spoke to dog behaviour expert, trainer, and founder of dog training school Wiggle Butt Academy, Nicole Kohanski, and vet and founder of online pet pharmacy www.mypetsvet.co.uk, Nick Horniman.
And?
Both experts agree that while we can’t definitely say dogs know exactly what’s wrong, they can definitely tell something’s up.
Nick said: “While they might not understand illness in the way humans do, dogs have an incredible sense of smell ― up to 100,000 times more sensitive than ours.
“This allows them to detect changes in body chemistry, such as shifts in hormones, temperature or even scent markers associated with illness.”
Nicole says dogs use far more than their sense of smell to see how we’re doing, though.
“Dogs are masters of human observation and observe us with all of their senses,” she told HuffPost UK.
“When we are sick, dogs are attuned to our subtle body language changes and changes in routines and patterns. We may be in bed longer than usual or move about more slowly.”
“They can hear differences as well ― sniffles, sneezes, wheezes and coughs that may signal something is not status quo,” she added.
With all those skills, the trainer says, your dog may even pick up on illness before you do.
That’s why we can teach “service dogs to alert to things like heart rate changes, blood pressure drops, and blood chemistry changes to help us get ahead of potentially dangerous illnesses,” Nicole continued (there are, for instance, specialised cardiac service dogs).
How can I tell if my dog’s picked up on my cold?
Nick tells us your canine pal will likely become friendlier and sweeter.
“Many will respond by becoming more affectionate, staying close by, or even acting protectively,” the vet revealed.
“While every dog is different, their bond with humans means they often sense when something isn’t quite right ― and their responses, whether it’s extra cuddles or quiet companionship, show just how in tune they are with us.”
Therapy animals have been shown to soothe sick people, making them less anxious and even encouraging better disease management.
Dogs in particular seemed good at the task (hey, they don’t call them man’s best friend for nothing).