A study published Dec. 3 in the journal iScience found that having a dog can improve mental health in adolescents through changes in the gut microbiome. Pet ownership is known to provide significant mental health benefits across various age groups, with adults reporting reductions in stress and anxiety, suggesting broader implications for adolescent well-being.

The research sampled 343 people and included 96 dogs, and it concluded that dog ownership was associated with higher measures of mental well-being among adolescent children. Notably, pet ownership is common among adolescents, a remarkable rate compared to other age groups. Dr. Takefumi Kikusui, an animal behaviorist at Azabu University and a co-author of the paper, said the effects appear to be mediated by shifts in the microbial communities living in the gut.

“Raising dogs has beneficial effects, especially for adolescents, and these effects may be mediated through symbiosis with microorganisms,” Dr. Takefumi Kikusui said. Many studies suggest that the gut microbiota communicates bidirectionally with the brain, influencing mental health through various pathways, which may explain these effects. Pet ownership is known to provide significant mental health benefits across various age groups.

The paper reports two linked findings: adolescent dog owners scored higher on indicators of mental well-being, and their gut microbiota carried bacterial types the researchers associate with prosocial traits. “Adolescent children who keep dogs exhibit higher mental well-being, and we also found that dog ownership alters the gut microbiota,” Dr. Takefumi Kikusui said.

Among the study’s most striking conclusions, the authors identified bacteria the team describes as promoting prosociality and empathy in the microbiomes of adolescent dog owners. “The most interesting finding from this study is that bacteria promoting prosociality, or empathy, were discovered in the microbiomes of adolescent children who keep dogs,” Dr. Takefumi Kikusui said. This aligns with broader findings that dysbiosis in gut bacteria can negatively impact emotional well-being.

Readers interested in the press coverage of the work can find a summary in Popular Science, and the broader scientific context about the gut–brain connection is discussed by health researchers at UCLA Health.

A human moment recorded by the study’s reporting illustrates the pattern: a middle-school boy and his dog relaxing together after settling a friendly sofa showdown. The dog by his side is the family’s second dog, an image the authors use to convey everyday interactions that may help shape microbial exchange and social behavior.

The research team analyzed stool samples and survey measures of mental well-being to link ownership with both microbial composition and psychological outcomes. The study’s size — hundreds of human participants and nearly a hundred companion animals — allowed the authors to test associations between family dog contact and changes in gut bacteria alongside behavioral measures.

Dr. Takefumi Kikusui’s affiliation with Azabu University is listed on the paper as a co-author institution. The journal iScience published the study on Dec. 3.

By connecting observable social benefits with measurable microbial differences, the authors suggest a biological pathway that could help explain why adolescents living with dogs sometimes show stronger social skills and emotional resilience. The study frames these microbiome shifts as one possible mediator of beneficial social outcomes rather than as the sole cause.

Next steps for the field typically include replication in other populations and experiments designed to test whether microbial changes produce behavioral change, but the paper itself presents cross-sectional evidence linking pet ownership, gut bacteria, and mental wellness measures among adolescents.

Source

Original reporting: view the original article.