Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Job stress can have well-being consequences for the employee's loved ones through crossover: the transference of work-related stress from an employee to their family members. Pet dogs-who most Americans view as family members-may also be susceptible to crossover. Given prior support for dogs' abilities to perceive and absorb a human's emotions via emotional contagion, we expected that pet dogs of owners with higher job stress would themselves be more stressed. We anticipated that work-related rumination, or the tendency to continue thinking about work during leisure time, would explain this relationship. All variables were measured using self-report scales administered in an online survey, and dogs' stress was captured in two ways: as owner-perceived and behaviorally indicated. The sample included 85 employees and their pet dogs. Controlling for home stress, we found that job stress related to behaviorally indicated stress in dogs. Work-related rumination explained this relationship. This study unites organizational research with companion animal welfare and supports the presence of crossover in the dog-owner bond. Based on these findings, employed dog owners might benefit from avoiding work-related rumination when at home to protect the well-being of man's best friend.
Source: Scientific Reports
Authors: Tanya Mitropoulos, Allison Andrukonis
Institutions: Radford University, Virginia Tech, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Language: English
Subfield: Genetics
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,690
OpenAlex ID: W4410411425