The results showed that just one hour per week of interaction with these pets can slow the signs of cellular aging in women.
Researchers from Florida Atlantic University found that regular interaction with dogs helps slow the shortening of telomeres—the terminal segments of DNA that act as a protective shield for chromosomes and are a key indicator of biological aging.
The study confirmed that the effect was particularly pronounced in women, suggesting that dogs may provide a natural and effective way to relieve stress and improve cellular health, without the need for medical or costly interventions.
"Interacting with animals not only provides emotional support, but also creates positive biological and psychological effects that reduce the effects of stress and promote a sense of security and emotional stability, which is critical for women," said study author Dr. Cheryl Kraus-Parillo, assistant professor of nursing at Florida Atlantic University.
The study included 28 women between the ages of 32 and 72, all of whom were veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The participants were divided into two groups:
Actively involved in training service dogs for their female combatants.
watched dog training videos for one hour per week for eight weeks.
Participants wore monitors to measure physiological stress indicators , such as heart rate variability, and saliva samples were analyzed to determine telomere length, a measure of cellular aging.
The results showed that women who interacted directly with dogs experienced increased telomere length , indicating a slower biological aging process, while length decreased in the group that did not interact with dogs.
Psychologically, all participants reported reduced anxiety levels and PTSD symptoms , with the effect being most pronounced in the group who actually participated in dog training.
The study was described as " pioneering " in understanding the biological effects of interaction with animals, particularly in women with stress-related mental health disorders. Kraus-Parillo noted that the team plans to expand the study in the future to include larger samples and male veterans , with the goal of further understanding the impact of interaction with dogs on ment
al and physical health.
