5 Ways Your Dog Is Helping Your Mental Health (From a Therapist Who Works With One)

Your dog doesn't have a mental health degree, but from a clinical perspective, they're doing more for your mental health than you probably give them credit for. If you've ever felt your shoulders drop the second your dog leans against you, that isn't your imagination.

I'm a licensed clinical social worker, and my dog, Rosie, is my co-therapist. Here are five things your dog is doing for your mental health.

1. Petting your dog lowers your stress hormones

In a randomized trial, 249 undergraduates were split into four groups: petting cats and dogs, watching others pet them, viewing photos of the same animals, or waiting. The students who actually pet the animals for 10 minutes had lower cortisol than every other group (Pendry & Vandagriff, 2019). Looking at photos of the animals wasn't enough, petting dogs is what made the clinically significant difference.

2. Eye contact with your dog is a bonding moment for both of you

A study in Science found that when dogs gazed at their owners, the owners' oxytocin increased, the owners responded with more affection, and the dogs' oxytocin increased too (Nagasawa et al., 2015). Researchers have compared this to the bonding process between parents and infants. Your dog staring at you isn't only about dinner, there’s more to it. As a therapist, I see this as a small moment of co-regulation for both of you.

3. Your dog gives your day structure and gets you moving

When people are struggling with anxiety or depression, routine is usually one of the first things to go. One of the most effective tools for depression is behavioral activation, which means doing small, meaningful things before you feel motivated to do them. A dog makes that non-negotiable. In a UK study, dog owners had four times the odds of meeting weekly physical activity guidelines compared with people without dogs, and their dog walks became part of their regular exercise routines (Westgarth et al., 2019).

4. Your dog connects you to other people

A survey across four cities found that pet owners were significantly more likely to get to know people in their neighborhood, and about 40% received some kind of social support from someone they met through their pet (Wood et al., 2015). Pets can assist in helping humans connect more easily. Dogs can have a similar effect in therapy. In one study of a jail-based parenting program, women in groups with a therapy dog started sharing personal information in the first or second session, compared with session three or ten in groups without a dog present (Collica-Cox & Day, 2021).

5. Your dog accepts you without judgment

A lot of what I treat, including anxiety, shame, and low self-esteem, comes back to a fear of being judged. In interviews with adults living with long-term mental health conditions, participants described their pets as an immediate source of calm, a distraction from symptoms, and a source of acceptance that helped them cope with stigma. Sixty percent placed their pet in the innermost circle of their support network (Brooks et al., 2016). Your dog doesn't care how your presentation went or what you look like today. That steady and unconditional acceptance gives your nervous system a chance to rest.

A quick note on the research

This field is still growing, and not every study has strong supports for these claims. A 2018 review found mixed results on pet ownership and mental health overall (Brooks et al., 2018). A large 2024 UK study didn't find that pets improved depression or anxiety during the pandemic, though they did help with loneliness (Parsons et al., 2024). Your dog isn't a replacement for therapy, but they can be a meaningful part of what helps you feel better.

New here? I'm Adele, a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) in NJ. I work with adults on anxiety, trauma, grief, relationships, self-esteem, life transitions, and more! Rosie, my dog, is my co-therapist for in-person sessions.

This content is for education and encouragement only. It's not therapy, medical advice, or a substitute for working with a licensed professional. Watching my videos doesn't create a therapist-client relationship. If you're struggling, please reach out to a therapist licensed in your state.

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References

Brooks, H., Rushton, K., Walker, S., Lovell, K., & Rogers, A. (2016). Ontological security and connectivity provided by pets: A study in the self-management of the everyday lives of people diagnosed with a long-term mental health condition. BMC Psychiatry, 16, 409. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-016-1111-3

Brooks, H. L., Rushton, K., Lovell, K., Bee, P., Walker, L., Grant, L., & Rogers, A. (2018). The power of support from companion animals for people living with mental health problems: A systematic review and narrative synthesis of the evidence. BMC Psychiatry, 18, 31. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-018-1613-2

Collica-Cox, K., & Day, G. J. (2021). When dogs make the difference: Jail-based parenting with and without animal-assisted therapy. Criminal Justice Policy Review, 33(6), 608–638. https://doi.org/10.1177/08874034211063455

Nagasawa, M., Mitsui, S., En, S., Ohtani, N., Ohta, M., Sakuma, Y., Onaka, T., Mogi, K., & Kikusui, T. (2015). Oxytocin-gaze positive loop and the coevolution of human-dog bonds. Science, 348(6232), 333–336. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1261022

Parsons, C. E., et al. (2024). No beneficial associations between living with a pet and mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic in a large UK longitudinal sample. Mental Health & Prevention. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhp.2024.200354

Pendry, P., & Vandagriff, J. L. (2019). Animal visitation program (AVP) reduces cortisol levels of university students: A randomized controlled trial. AERA Open, 5(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/2332858419852592

Westgarth, C., Christley, R. M., Jewell, C., German, A. J., Boddy, L. M., & Christian, H. E. (2019). Dog owners are more likely to meet physical activity guidelines than people without a dog. Scientific Reports, 9, 5704. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-41254-6

Wood, L., Martin, K., Christian, H., Nathan, A., Lauritsen, C., Houghton, S., Kawachi, I., & McCune, S. (2015). The pet factor: Companion animals as a conduit for getting to know people, friendship formation and social support. PLoS ONE, 10(4), e0122085. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0122085