Belfast, Ireland: In a recent study, scientists from Queen’s University Belfast found that dogs can sense human tension through perspiration and breath.

Ms. Clara Wilson, a PhD researcher, and Ms. Kerry Campbell, an MSc candidate, conducted the study at the School of Psychology. Ms. Catherine Reeve oversaw them, while Mr. Zachary Petzel assisted in gathering the human physiological measurements.

Treo, Fingal, Soot, and Winnie, four Belfast-based dogs, as well as 36 people, participated in the study. Participants’ breath and perspiration samples were taken by researchers both before and after they completed a challenging math problem. Before and after the task, they self-reported how stressed they were, and the researchers only used blood pressure and heart rate data when the person had been more anxious.

The dogs were trained to find the right sample by searching a lineup of scents. The stress and calm samples were then combined, although at this point the researchers were unsure if the dogs could detect a change in odor. Each dog in every test received samples from one person who was both relaxed and under stress, taken just four minutes apart. Each dog was able to notify the researchers to the stress sample of each individual.

“The findings reveal that we, as humans, emit different odors through our perspiration and breath when we are worried, and dogs can tell this apart from our smell when we are relaxed – even if it is someone they do not know,” said Ms. Clara Wilson.

One of the super sniffer canines that took part in the study was Treo, a two-year-old Cocker Spaniel. His owner Ms. Helen Parks highlighted that, “as the owner of a dog that thrives on sniffing, we were delighted and curious to see Treo take part in the study. We couldn’t wait to hear the results each week when we collected him. He was always so excited to see the researchers at Queen’s and could find his own way to the laboratory”.

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