Unleashing Stress: The Effects of Training, Bond Strength, and Stress on Pet Dog Behaviors and Health

Authors

• London Maria Wolff, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

First Advisor

Tierney Lorenz

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Committee Members

Jeff Stevens, Ken Wakabayashi, Lisa Karr

Department

Psychology

Date of this Version

4-29-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Citation

A dissertation presented to the faculty of the Graduate College at the University of Nebraska in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy

Major: Psychology

Under the supervision of Professor Tierney Lorenz

Lincoln, Nebraska, May 2026

Comments

Copyright 2026, . Used by permission

Abstract

Humans and dogs have formed a unique ability to communicate with each other through evolutionary and developmental mechanisms. This increased communication serves to form dynamic interspecies bonds by facilitating learning and training over the lifetime of a dog. However, it is not known what factors permit the unique capacity of dogs to form bonds with, and learn from, their human companions. Odor is a notable candidate for interspecies communication about emotional states, with studies showing that both dogs and humans use odor information to detect human emotions (Calvi et al., 2020). Possibly, this may include detection of both acute and chronic stress in humans (Wilson et al., 2022). There is currently a gap in the literature on how bond strength and ontogenetic factors affect how dogs detect and deal with human stress. Across three studies I examined different aspects of my central hypothesis: the unique relationship that has developed evolutionarily and ontogenetically between dogs and humans has led to dogs’ capability to detect human stress, and the ability to detect stress is associated with the human-canine bond in ways that are meaningful for dog training and dog health. Across these three studies, I found that dogs’ responses to human stress cues are shaped more strongly by individual differences, context, and dog-human relationship factors than by odor cues alone. Training history appeared to influence inhibitory control and attention to human guidance rather than increasing novelty-seeking. Analyses of canine health revealed that owner-reported and veterinarian-derived health capture distinct constructs, with allostatic load emerging as a consistent predictor of health outcomes, suggesting that cumulative physiological stress may play a fundamental role in canine well-being. Taken together, the findings across these studies suggest that dogs’ responses to human stress are not determined by single cues such as odor signals alone, but instead emerge from interactions among contextual signals, individual temperament, training history, and broader physiological state. Dogs are not passive detectors of human stress, but active interpreters of a rich and context-dependent social world.

Recommended Citation

Wolff, London Maria, "Unleashing Stress: The Effects of Training, Bond Strength, and Stress on Pet Dog Behaviors and Health" (2026). Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–. 479.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissunl/479