The Emotional Effects of Observing a Family Fight
The findings from both studies in the recent report were largely consistent, but the second experiment—where the argument was more intense and prolonged—yielded more distinct patterns in behavior. As a result, our discussion will center on this version of the study, as it provides clearer insight into how dogs respond to heightened family conflict.
Witnessing household conflict triggered noticeable stress responses in the dogs, much like the reactions seen in children who observe family disputes. Previous research has established that dogs can differentiate between positive and negative human emotions, and a heated argument is filled with signals of distress, anger, and tension. Given this, it’s unsurprising that the dogs in the study exhibited signs of anxiety. As the researchers concluded, “Taken together, these results suggest that the expression of negative emotions in people appears to trigger stress behaviors [in dogs], affecting their well-being.
A deeper look at the data revealed an interesting pattern: older dogs exhibited higher stress levels when witnessing family arguments. This could be because they’ve had more time to observe human behavior and have become better at recognizing emotional tension. During the conflicts, the dogs did not try to break up the fight or flee the scene. Instead, they remained where they were, fixating their gaze on the individuals involved—particularly on the aggressor.
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