A dog can sometimes help you cope with stress better than a friend, new research shows.

A busy workday, looming deadlines, or an unexpected problem: stress is always lurking. Yet, it turns out a simple remedy is often already on the couch: your dog. Scientists at the University of Denver show that a four-legged friend does more than just boost your mood.

It literally helps your body stay in balance.

The research team put 40 dog owners through a traditional stress test with a mini-speech and math problems. Half were allowed to bring their dogs, the rest came alone. The research result ? The participants with their dogs had a much lower peak of this stress hormone. At the same time, the enzyme alpha-amylase did increase briefly, a sign that the body remains ready.

"That combination of calm cortisol, yet a brief adrenaline boost, is precisely the sweet spot for effectively managing stress," explains research leader Kevin Morris in the study. "You remain alert, but recover back to resting mode within 45 minutes."

How exactly does that work? The researchers explain it in their study. Our body has two main pathways during stress. The first is the SAM axis (also known as fight-or-flight ) and quickly releases adrenaline, measured by alpha-amylase. The second is the HPA axis, which produces cortisol more slowly for long-term tension.

Many previous studies focused solely on cortisol and found a decrease primarily thanks to dogs. By now measuring both pathways simultaneously, the team discovered that a dog doesn't shut everything down, but rather regulates it: less long-term stress, but still a healthy state of readiness.

The new research aligns with dozens of previous studies . Dog owners live longer on average, have a 24 percent lower risk of death, and are four times more likely to recover a year after a heart attack. Dogs thus appear to offer a broad range of health benefits, with stress regulation potentially being the key.

Touch, rhythm, and unconditional attention play a role, co-author Jaci Gandenberger suspects. "A dog doesn't react critically, but comfortingly. That feeling of safety can dampen stress peaks." In previous experimental sessions, dogs even outperformed their human counterparts, as their cortisol levels remained even lower.

Need a little break? Then take a walk around the block with your dog for a natural stress break. Or are you working from home? Then schedule a short playtime between meetings. A quick petting session immediately activates the calming pathway. But what if you don't have a dog? Consider volunteering at a shelter, the researchers recommend, as the interaction has similar effects.

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