Forget Fancy Creams—New Study Finds Dogs May be the Key to Looking Younger

Yes, dogs provide vital friendship, unconditional love, and undying devotion — but did you know that apparently in addition to keeping you mentally spry as you get older, they can help reduce physical signs of aging? A new study focusing on female veterans and service dogs shows that dogs can actually slow biological aging. Man’s best friend isn’t just a cute moniker; dogs are out here affecting cell structure and reducing stress. 

The research was done by Florida Atlantic University in collaboration with the University of Maryland School of Nursing, the Medical College of Georgia, and Warrior Canine Connection Inc and focused on female veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. The participants were enrolled in an 8-week service dog training problem, with the idea that the purpose-driven mission could help decrease psychological and biological stress markers. The study also took the participants’ combat experience into account. 

Unfortunately, despite the fact that women have served in the military for decades, most studies still remain centered on men. Despite higher reports of PTSD, female veterans remain vastly understudied, especially when compared to their male counterparts. 

This new study specifically looked at the participants’ heart rate variability, PTSD symptom severity, perceived stress, and anxiety, as well as their telomere length. Telomeres are the long sequences of repetitive DNA at the ends of chromosomes. They basically serve as safeguards for genetic information. With each cell division, they shorten, so they’re used as indicators of aging. Critically for this study, they were used to measure physical stress, since stress can often affect cellular aging — and cellular aging itself leads to physical aging, especially thin skin and wrinkles. 

And the biggest surprise of the study was that training service dogs reduced that biological stress. That’s right: dogs literally help slow signs of aging. 

Now, both the control and experiment group experienced reduction in the psychological stress, which the researchers attribute to the structure and attention of the study. But when it came to the biological indicators, the veterans who trained dogs showed an increase in telomere length. Those with combat exposure had the most drastic increase. By contrast, the control group’s telomere length decreased across the board, with the combat-experienced veterans seeing the biggest decline. 

“Nontraditional approaches like connecting with animals can offer meaningful support,” explained Cheryl Krause-Parello, Ph.D., first author, and associate vice president for FAU research. “These relationships provide emotional safety and stability, which can be especially powerful for women. But not all veterans can care for a service animal, so animal-related volunteerism may offer similar healing benefits without the burden of ownership.”

So what is it about training service dogs that’s so therapeutic? Previous research indicates that social support is a key factor in veterans’ reintegration. And unlike humans, animals provide unconditional security and support without judgement. The training provided the veterans with new insights into animal behavior, which could’ve strengthened their relationship with their own animals. Training service dogs blends regular community engagement and emotionally bonding with an animal. 

“This research underscores the power of service dog training as a meaningful, non-pharmacological intervention to support the health and healing of female veterans with PTSD,” said Krause-Parello. “It opens the door to more personalized approaches that nurture both the mind and body.”