Dogs Can Help Teens Cope with Social Stress—If They’re Not a Substitute for People

Researchers at Tufts University surveyed more than 500 U.S. teenagers (ages 13-17) who all reported high levels of social anxiety. Participants answered questions about their relationship with any household dog and about the coping strategies they used when dealing with peer-related stress. The analysis showed two contrasting patterns. Teens who cared for their dog and valued its companionship were more likely to employ “healthy” strategies such as problem-solving, positive thinking, and constructive emotion regulation. In contrast, teens who rated the dog as a more important friend than any peer—effectively using the animal as a social replacement—were more likely to rely on “unhealthy” strategies, including avoidance, rumination, and emotional numbing. Additional findings linked friction with a dog’s behavior (e.g., shoe-chewing, indoor accidents) to poorer coping outcomes.

UsNews and World Report

Senior researcher Megan Mueller, director of the Pets and Wellbeing Lab at Tufts University, explained that adolescence is a period when peers begin to supplant parents as primary social anchors, creating “emotional churn” that can heighten anxiety. She suggested that a dog serving as a teen’s main source of social support may signal a lack of other social connections. Lead researcher Nicole Mason, a doctoral student at Tufts, noted that the team aimed to identify which qualities of the dog-teen bond were associated with productive versus less-effective coping.

UsNews and World Report

• “They’re obviously not your parents, but they’re part of the family unit and may serve as a familiar source of comfort,” — Megan Mueller, director of the Pets and Wellbeing Lab at Tufts University

UsNews and World Report

• “During adolescence, teenagers develop their sense of self,” — Megan Mueller, director of the Pets and Wellbeing Lab at Tufts University

UsNews and World Report

• “One possible explanation is that a dog becoming a teen’s main source of social support may reflect a lack of other social connections,” — Megan Mueller, director of the Pets and Wellbeing Lab at Tufts University

UsNews and World Report

• “Future studies will help us understand that relationship and other potential dynamics at play more clearly,” — Megan Mueller, director of the Pets and Wellbeing Lab at Tufts University

UsNews and World Report

Mueller indicated that the team is now following teens and their dogs longitudinally to examine how factors such as a dog’s personality, behavior, and compatibility influence coping and overall well-being. The researchers hope that these follow-up studies will clarify whether specific dog-teen dynamics can be leveraged to promote healthier stress management among socially anxious adolescents.

UsNews and World Report