Field Guide · Glossary
Social buffering
Learning scienceThe reduction in a dog's stress response that comes from having a companion, a person or another dog, present during something difficult.
How it works
The idea comes from research across many social species, in which an animal facing a stressor shows a smaller stress response when a companion is with it. Studies measure it through heart rate, stress hormones in saliva or blood, and behavior such as attempts to escape. In one study of kennel-housed cattle dogs with little previous human contact, a stress hormone rose significantly when the dogs were left alone and did not rise significantly when unfamiliar people were with them. Buffering lowers the response without removing it: a frightening event stays frightening with company, only less so. Studies differ in whether the companion simply sits nearby or also talks to and touches the dog, and both arrangements have been tested.
What it looks like
A dog who trembles alone in an exam room stands more steadily once their owner kneels beside them and rests a hand on their shoulder. The dog still licks their lips and watches the vet's hands, but stays on the table without trying to jump down.
Commonly confused with
- Counterconditioning
- Counterconditioning changes how a dog feels about something over time, by pairing it repeatedly with something good. Social buffering works in the moment, lowering the stress response while the companion is present, and on its own it is not a method for changing how the dog will feel next time.
Related terms
Sources