Photo of a woman (Felicia Palm, SLU) sitting on her haunches outdoors with a light-colored Labrador retriever. — Felicia Palm is pursuing a doctorate at SLU during the period 2023-2028 as part of the project “Is there a connection between personality, stress, and pain sensitivity in dogs and their owners?” Photo: Lisa Chröisty, SLU

Is there a correlation between personality, stress sensitivity, and pain sensitivity in dogs and their owners?

Page reviewed: 30/09/2026

How does the personalities of dogs and their owners affect sensitivity to pain and stress? This project aims to determine the extent to which dogs and their owners influence each other’s experiences of stress and pain. Can dog owners transfer their own stress and sensitivity to pain to their dogs?

For many dogs, a visit to the veterinarian causes both stress and anxiety—states that can make it difficult to determine where and to what extent a dog is actually in pain. For both dog owners and veterinarians, a deeper understanding of which signals from a dog indicate stress or pain, respectively, would be of great help. This project hopes to contribute to that understanding.

Research that explores the bond between humans and dogs

Today, it is also relatively unknown how factors such as a dog’s breed and personality influence how and to what extent it expresses stress and pain. To investigate this, dogs from three selected breeds with widely varying temperaments will participate in the experiment. The individual personality of each dog will be assessed through both behavioral and personality descriptions (BPH) and questionnaire responses from dog owners.

Previous research on humans has shown that personality influences the experience of pain, but there are still no similar studies on dogs. It would be interesting to see whether dogs with certain personality types also react more strongly or are better at hiding stress and pain, says PhD-student Felicia Palm.

In addition, the project team wishes to investigate the extent to which dogs and their owners influence each other’s levels of stress and pain. Can dog owners transfer their own stress to their dogs?

Ethical challenges – for long-term hope of profit for both dog owners and veterinarians

During the fall of 2023, the project is in an intensive planning phase in which, among other things, ethical issues are being discussed—not least regarding how to induce pain in a justifiable manner for both dogs and humans.

The first, survey-based, part of the study is expected around the turn of the year 2023/2024. Starting in 2024, dogs and their owners will begin the practical components

My dream is that when I visit a veterinary clinic in thirty years—whether as a practicing veterinarian or as a dog owner—I’ll feel reassured knowing that by then we’ll have a more specific understanding of the signs that indicate a dog is in pain. We may never be able to know with absolute certainty what another individual is feeling, but I believe that being better able to distinguish between stress and pain is a good start, Felicia Palm continues.

Just as important is the potential impact of the research findings on dog owners, who will hopefully gain a broader understanding of their dogs’ signals.

… And perhaps dog owners will then be able to understand their dogs better based on that particular dog’s personality, breed, and whether they themselves influence the dog’s stress and pain levels. I think that could be helpful both during visits to the veterinarian and on a daily basis in all everyday interactions between dogs and humans, concludes Felicia Palm, doctoral student in the project.

Collage with three images of a woman (Felicia Palm, SLU) together with a light-colored Labrador retriever. — Communicating with and understanding dogs is important in order to be able to read their signals. But how much do we humans affect dogs' levels of stress and pain? This is one of many questions the project hopes to answer. Photo: Lisa Chröisty, SLU

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About the project:

The doctoral position is funded by the Birgitta Carlsson Fund and is expected to run from 2023 to 2028.
It is one of five doctoral projects focusing on diseases common to both dogs and humans.
The project is primarily led by Felicia Palm, doctoral student at SLU, in collaboration with Eva Sandberg, her primary advisor and an active researcher at SLU whose work focuses on pain, stress, and behavioral physiology, among other areas. The team also includes three co-advisors and others with specialized expertise in various areas.

The project is divided into four substudies—broadly described as:

A survey of dog owners involving self-assessment of their relationship with their dog, their respective personalities, and their sensitivity to pain and stress
Description of behavioral characteristics in participating dogs (using a standardized BPH test) and an examination of the interaction between dogs and their owners
Pain tests on dogs and their owners to study behaviors and changes in, among other things, heart rate and levels of stress and pain hormones
Study on How Genetic Markers in Dogs Affect Personality, Pain, and Stress

Is there a correlation between personality, stress sensitivity, and pain sensitivity in dogs and their owners?

Research that explores the bond between humans and dogs

Ethical challenges – for long-term hope of profit for both dog owners and veterinarians

Support research at SLU

About the project:

The project is divided into four substudies—broadly described as:

Read more interviews with researchers

Contact

Is there a correlation between personality, stress sensitivity, and pain sensitivity in dogs and their owners?

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Research that explores the bond between humans and dogs

Ethical challenges – for long-term hope of profit for both dog owners and veterinarians

Support research at SLU

About the project:

The project is divided into four substudies—broadly described as:

Read more interviews with researchers

Contact