The effects of green odour on domestic dogs: A pilot study

The presence of green odour in the experimental room did not affect dog behaviour during separation from the owner. In addition, deltas of salivary cortisol levels in the two tests did not differ. However, differences in dog behaviour were observed when the owner was present, both before and after separation, indicating that, when tested in the presence of green odour, dogs sat more and spent less time in proximity to the owner. When tested without the green odour, dogs instead sought more contact with the owner. These findings suggest that green odour has a light stress-alleviating effect, which appears in more relaxed behaviour in the presence of the owner.