Dogs have a truly keen sense of smell.
As it turns out, we are talking not only about ordinary smells, but also about the so-called “stress smell” of a person.
British scientists conducted a series of experiments to prove their guesses and published the results of their research in the journal Scientific Reports .
Experts decided to test in practice the theory that when one person experiences stress, the anxiety is transmitted to those around him.
18 owners with dogs of different breeds were invited to take part in the experiment.
The animals were trained that two bowls would be placed in two places in the room: one with food, the other without.
Gradually, other bowls were placed between them, which were empty. Before sending the pets out to find a treat, they were given the opportunity to sniff the sweat of their owners, who were either stressed or relaxed.
And if the dogs sensed the "stress smell," they were slower to approach the bowls. Scientists attribute this to the assumption that the stress smell primed the animal to believe that there was no treat in the bowl.
