Although research has shown that pets appear to provide certain types of social support to children, little is known about the physiological bases of these effects, especially in naturalistic contexts. In this study, we investigated the effect of free-form interactions between children (ages 8–10 years) and dogs on salivary cortisol concentrations in both species.

Many studies, such as the one conducted in 2021 at the Center for Human-Animal Interaction of the School of Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University, in the United States, had certified that walking or running with a four-legged friend benefits muscle and cardiovascular function, breathing and mental performance, not to mention the positive effects on stress, anxiety and ideal weight.

Over the years, several studies have shown how pets have a positive influence on humans.

"Ornamental fishes carry a much lower risk than other companion animals and may be a suitable alternative in situations where other animals would introduce too great a risk (e.g., allergy, accidental injury). The aim of this study was to investigate whether watching an aquarium during the working day influenced employee wellbeing through the reduction of stress and improvements in stress-related outcomes."

"Having a non-judgmental confidant can serve to buffer the effects of stress on both physical and psychological health outcomes," explains Nancy Gee, a professor of psychiatry and director of the Center for Human-Animal Interaction at Virginia Commonwealth University.