The researchers also found less efficient connections in anxious dogs between two regions of the brain important for learning and information processing. (This is similar to findings from human studies.) Indeed, in the behaviour surveys, owners of anxious dogs noted increased fear of unfamiliar people and dogs.

These differences were linked with higher scores for particular behaviours in the surveys as well.įor example, anxious dogs had amygdalas (an area of the brain associated with the processing of fear) that were particularly efficient, suggesting a lot of experience with fear. The main differences were in the communication pathways and connection strength within the “anxiety circuit”. The researchers found there were indeed significant differences between anxious and non-anxious dogs. Images from a previous study which scanned dog brains with fMRI while they were awake, showing a dog named Callie learning to sit in a training apparatus. Understanding this could both improve treatment for anxiety in veterinary medicine, and reveal similarities with what we know of human anxiety. The new study sought to investigate possible pathways in the brain that are associated with anxiety in dogs. Researching anxiety in animals can help us to understand what drives it, and to improve treatment for both humans and animals. These disorders can be difficult to live with and sometimes difficult to treat, in part due to how varied and complex anxiety is. Overall, they represent high levels of fear, emotional sensitivity and negative expectations. Anxious friendsĪnxiety disorders in humans are varied and can be categorised into several main types. The research team at Ghent University, Belgium, found that our anxious dog friends not only have measurable differences in their brains linked to their anxiety, but these differences are similar to those found in humans with anxiety disorders as well. However, some dog owners are also managing canine pals struggling with mental illness.Ī newly published study in PLOS ONE has examined the brain scans of anxious and non-anxious dogs, and correlated them with behaviour. Dog ownership is a lot of furry companionship, tail wags and chasing balls, and ample unconditional love.

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