# Petting Dogs After Stress Helps Later

> Petting dogs after stress reduces future anxiety.
- Title: Petting Dogs After Stress Helps Later · VICE | Shortify
- Summary: Petting dogs after stress reduces future anxiety. Petting dogs after stress lowers brain activity and heart rate during later stress tests.
- Keywords: petting, dogs, stress, brain activity, heart rate, news, culture, Helps, Later, VICE
- Source: VICE — https://vice.com/en/article/why-petting-your-dog-after-a-stressful-experience-could-help-you-later
- Author: Ashley Fike
- Published: 2026-10-22T13:33:22+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: petting, dogs, stress, brain activity, heart rate, news, culture
## Dog owners and pets
Researchers at Austria’s University of Innsbruck studied 64 dog owners and their pets.
## Stress test setup
Participants answered trivia and solved math problems while a researcher criticized their performance.
## Petting session
Participants spent five minutes with dogs either freely or on short leashes.
## Stress test results
People who petted dogs showed calmer brain activity and slower heart rates during second stress test.
## Self-reported stress
Participants didn’t notice the difference in stress levels, as self-reported stress didn’t match measurements.
## Key takeaway

Petting dogs after stress lowers brain activity and heart rate during later stress tests.