The Effect of a Dog on Acute Stress Reactivity During Experimental Stressors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Research suggests that access to social support from other people while completing a stressful task can lower stress reactivity, but the potential stress-buffering role of dogs has been less explored. Our objective was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess whether the presence of dogs impacts acute psychophysiological stress reactivity in response to an experimental stressor compared with being alone or with another form of social support. Following a PROSPERO-registered protocol (#CRD42023464970), PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, Academic Search Ultimate, and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global were searched from inception to November 2023. Of 9,891 records screened, two independent reviewers determined that 28 articles met the inclusion criteria. Risk of bias was assessed with a 15-item methodological checklist. Three-level meta-analytic models (k = 62, n = 2,027) were used to estimate pooled effect sizes for the impact of dog presence on stress reactivity as measured by diastolic and systolic blood pressure, cortisol, heart rate, and self-reported stress/anxiety, and study characteristics were analyzed as moderators. Results showed that, compared with control conditions, the presence of a dog while completing a stressor was associated with lower heart rate reactivity (k = 31, g = –0.12, p < 0.05) and lower self-reported stress/anxiety reactivity (k = 17, g = –0.29, p < 0.01). There was no significant overall effect of dog presence on diastolic blood pressure (k = 19, g = –0.06), systolic blood pressure (k = 14, g = –0.01), or cortisol reactivity (k = 9, g = –0.03). Moderation analyses were only conducted on self-reported stress, which didn’t identify any significant moderators; however, this analysis was limited by small cell sizes. Findings suggest that social support from a dog is effective at buffering acute stress reactivity in experimental stress paradigms. Further research is needed to explore the mechanisms underlying these effects.