Is Your Dog Stressed?
Let’s be honest—if you’ve ever watched your dog deal with stress, you know the feeling. That knot in your stomach when you see them pacing, whining, or retreating into themselves. We want to fix it, to make it all better for them. But sometimes, it feels like we’re missing something deeper. The truth is, dogs, just like us, experience a wide range of emotions. Understanding how they process stress, and more importantly, how we can help them heal through connection, isn’t just about training—it’s about nurturing the emotional bond.
Understanding Canine Stress
n recent years, neuroscience has given us some incredible insights into our dogs’ emotional lives. Jaak Panksepp, a pioneer in affective neuroscience, identified seven primary emotional systems that govern behavior in mammals. Among these is the CARE system, which plays a crucial role in emotional bonding, stress reduction, and attachment. Understanding how the CARE system functions—and how opioids and oxytocin are part of this system—offers us a new, more profound way of supporting our dogs through their stress.
What Happens When Dogs Experience Stress?
Stress in dogs isn’t always loud or obvious. Sometimes it’s subtle—a sigh, a yawn, or a slight avoidance of eye contact. Other times, it’s more overt: pacing, excessive licking, or destructive behavior. No matter how it manifests, stress is real and often deeply rooted in emotional experiences.
When dogs are stressed, their bodies release cortisol, the primary stress hormone. This triggers their fight, flight, or freeze response. While cortisol helps dogs react to immediate threats, prolonged exposure to stress can lead to chronic anxiety, damaging their emotional and physical well-being.
New Insight:
Research into the CARE system helps us understand how emotional bonding, driven by neurochemicals like oxytocinand endorphins, is key to stress reduction. When dogs feel connected and secure, their brains release oxytocin—the "love hormone"—which fosters feelings of safety and calm. In stressful moments, the lack of oxytocin and endogenous opioids (like endorphins) can intensify their stress response.
How the CARE System Influences Stress
The CARE system, as identified by Panksepp, is a nurturing mechanism in the brain that governs emotional bonding and caregiving behaviors. When your dog rests their head on your lap or curls up next to you, their CARE system is active. This system isn’t just about affection—it’s a neurochemical process that makes bonding feel emotionally and physically rewarding.
Here’s the important part: the CARE system is not just for bonding—it’s essential for managing stress. When dogs are in close, nurturing relationships, their bodies produce endorphins (natural painkillers and mood boosters) and oxytocin. These chemicals help lower their stress and create feelings of safety and connection. When they’re separated from a bonded figure, however, their opioid levels drop, leading to behaviors we recognize as separation anxiety—whining, pacing, or even destructive actions.
Scientific Backing:
A study by Nagasawa et al. (2015) found that the mutual gaze between dogs and their owners significantly increased oxytocin levels in both species, reinforcing emotional bonding and lowering stress. This deep connection goes beyond affection—it's biologically essential for managing stress.
Understanding Emotionality: Secure vs. Insecure Attachment
The way your dog reacts to stress often ties back to their attachment style. Dogs with a secure attachment know that their caregiver is a safe base—they’re confident in their bond, and this security helps them manage stress better. However, dogs with insecure attachment—whether anxious or avoidant—are more prone to experiencing chronic stress. They’re unsure if their needs will be met consistently, which can lead to heightened anxiety during separations or unfamiliar situations.
Opioid Withdrawal and Separation Anxiety:
When a dog with insecure attachment is separated from their caregiver, their opioid levels plummet, mimicking symptoms of opioid withdrawal. This explains why some dogs exhibit extreme distress when left alone—it’s not just behavioral; it’s a neurochemical response to the absence of their secure base. Understanding this can shift how we approach supporting our dogs through separation anxiety. It’s about more than managing behavior—it’s about restoring neurochemical balance through connection and care.
The Role of Oxytocin and Endorphins
One of the most powerful tools we have in helping our dogs manage stress is connection. When we engage in nurturing behaviors—whether through petting, playing, or simply spending time together—we activate the CARE system in both ourselves and our dogs. This system triggers the release of oxytocin and endorphins, which help soothe stress and create feelings of emotional safety.
How You Can Help Your Dog Heal:
Physical Touch: Regularly petting and snuggling with your dog stimulates oxytocin production, creating feelings of comfort and security.
Play and Engagement: Play increases endorphins, boosting your dog’s mood and lowering stress levels.
Mindful Presence: Just being present with your dog, making eye contact, and speaking gently can have profound effects on their emotional state. It reinforces their sense of connection, which is crucial for managing stress.
What Science Says:
Panksepp’s research on the CARE system shows that these moments of connection are not just emotionally soothing but are also biologically necessary. Emotional bonding directly influences a dog’s ability to regulate stress because it activates the neurochemical systems that promote calm and healing.
Building Emotional Security
Healing from stress is not a quick fix—it’s a journey of building emotional security for your dog. As caregivers, our role is to create a stable, consistent environment that nurtures their CARE system. Whether through physical touch, play, or simply being present, we have the power to influence our dog’s emotional landscape. This process isn’t about controlling behavior—it’s about creating a foundation of trust, security, and connection.
Understanding your dog’s emotional world isn’t just about behavior management. It’s about realizing that their stress, joy, fear, and love are intertwined with yours. They feel everything you do. When we embrace this connection and use it to nurture emotional security, we help our dogs heal—not just from stress, but from the emotional wounds of insecurity and separation.
A New Way of Seeing Our Dogs
Our dogs aren’t just living in our world—they’re feeling it with us. The CARE system shows us that emotional bonding is central to their well-being. By understanding the neurochemistry of connection—how oxytocin, endorphins, and other key chemicals influence their stress and emotional regulation—we can support them in a more compassionate, science-backed way. This isn’t about quick fixes or behavior corrections. It’s about showing up for them, understanding their needs, and healing through connection.
Your dog feels everything you do. Are you ready to listen?
Feel free to contact Jessica if you have any questions or need personalized advice. We’re here to help you create a positive and nurturing environment for your dog.
Panksepp, J. (1998). Affective Neuroscience: The Foundations of Human and Animal Emotions. New York: Oxford University Press.
This foundational work explores the seven core emotional systems in mammals, including the CARE system, which plays a key role in attachment and emotional bonding in both humans and animals.
Nagasawa, M., Mitsui, S., En, S., Ohtani, N., Ohta, M., Sakuma, Y., & Kikusui, T. (2015). "Oxytocin-Gaze Positive Loop and the Coevolution of Human-Dog Bonds". Science, 348(6232), 333-336.
This study demonstrates how mutual gazing between dogs and humans increases oxytocin levels, reinforcing the emotional bond and reducing stress in both species.
Gregory, G., & Kaufeldt, M. (2015). The Motivated Brain: Improving Student Engagement, Attention, and Perseverance. ASCD.
This resource provides insight into the neurochemical underpinnings of motivation and emotional attachment, applicable to understanding the CARE system in dogs and humans.