From Nose to Nervous System: What Puppies Teach Us About Sensitive Children

There is something quietly profound about watching a puppy move through the world.

The way they pause.

The way they tilt their head.

The way they respond—not just to what we do, but to what we feel.

It turns out, they’re not just being cute.

They’re learning how to read the emotional world.

And in many ways… they’re not so different from our children.

The Nose Knows Before the Mind Understands

Dogs are born with an extraordinary sense of smell—one that allows them to detect subtle chemical changes in the human body. They have up to 300 million olfactory receptors (vs ~6 million in hums). Research shows that dogs can differentiate between emotional states like stress and calm simply through scent. Our emotional state produces chemical signals (in sweat, breath, kin). When we feel anxious, our bodies release stress-related compounds such as cortisol. When we feel safe or joyful, a different internal chemistry unfolds. Dogs learn to read our baseline and differentiate between the different responses.

Dogs can smell the difference.

But here’s the important part:

While adult dogs can often respond appropriately to these emotional cues…

puppies are still learning what those cues mean.

They may detect that something is “different” or “intense”—but not yet know whether it signals danger, excitement, or something in between.

So what do they do?

They react.

Sometimes with playfulness.

Sometimes with overexcitement.

Sometimes with hesitation or overwhelm.

Not because they are misbehaving…

But because they are still organizing their understanding of the world.

Learning, Attuning, and Becoming (A Little Closer to Home)

I see this unfolding every day in my own home—but perhaps not in the way we often expect.

Effie—our deeply intuitive, affectionate pup—is already showing a remarkable level of emotional attunement. While she is still early in her journey and I am learning the process of formalizing animal-assisted therapy, what she offers naturally is something I can’t ignore.

She feels us.

When one of my children is overwhelmed, she runs to them—gently, instinctively—offering her presence without hesitation.

When I’m feeling heavy or stretched, she comes close and settles into me, applying pressure like a weighted blanket… grounding, steady, warm.

And what has been most fascinating is watching this extend beyond our family.

With clients she has known since she was very young, she demonstrates the same sensitivity. After moments of sharing something hard or vulnerable, she will quietly move in—rolling onto their lap like a big, gentle “weighted baby,” resting her body into theirs. Sometimes she reaches up softly, a small lick near the ear, or a cheek-to-cheek nuzzle… as if to say, “I feel you. I’m here.”

Affection is her language of comfort.

And she offers it freely.

At the same time, she holds a beautiful balance.

She senses when movement is needed too—inviting play, bringing toys, even learning how to unzip the trampoline so she can climb in and jump alongside you. A gentle reminder that regulation doesn’t always look like stillness… sometimes it looks like shared joy, movement, and release.

And then there’s Tuko—our older, steady, deeply loved companion.

Tuko’s story is different.

He didn’t begin with the same early exposure to children or the kind of consistent, attuned environment Effie has had. He came from a place of trauma—carrying high levels of anxiety and social nervousness in his tiny body.

For a long time, his way of coping was through his voice.

Loud. Alert. Protective.

And over time, with safety, patience, and care… he has softened.

Now, in his older age—with a tender heart and a body that asks him to move more slowly—he has settled into a different rhythm.

He comforts in quieter ways.

Slow presence. Gentle grooming. Simply being near.

And yet… there are still moments where he perks up—little bursts of energy where he remembers (or believes) he can still keep up with everything and everyone around him.

And maybe, in those moments, he can.

Because just like us…

Animals wax and wane.

Energy shifts. Capacity changes.

Especially when there has been stress, trauma, or changes in health.

Tuko reminds me that regulation isn’t a fixed state.

It’s a lifelong rhythm.

And in many ways, Effie continues to learn—not just from us—but from him too.

Tiny Humans, Similar Systems

Now, let’s gently shift our lens to children—particularly those with highly sensitive or perceptive nervous systems.

Research in developmental psychology describes some children as having Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS)—a temperament trait characterized by:

• heightened awareness of subtle cues

• deep emotional processing

• strong empathy

• increased reactivity to stress

These children don’t just notice more…

They feel more.

And just like puppies, they are taking in a vast amount of information—tone of voice, facial expressions, energy shifts, relational dynamics—often before they have the cognitive tools to make sense of it.

When Everything Feels Big

Here’s where the parallel becomes especially meaningful.

Both puppies and sensitive children experience what we call high arousal states.

This might look like:

• excitement

• anticipation

• anxiety

• overwhelm

But in the body?

These states can feel very similar.

Increased heart rate.

Heightened alertness.

A surge of energy.

For a developing system—whether puppy or child—these sensations can blur together.

So excitement might come out as chaos.

Nervousness might look like hyperactivity.

Overwhelm might show up as shutdown or avoidance.

Not because they don’t “know better”…

But because their system is still learning to differentiate and categorize what it feels.

Learning Through Relationship

Neither puppies nor children learn emotional meaning in isolation.

They learn through us.

Through repetition.

Through tone.

Through safety.

Through co-regulation.

Over time, a puppy begins to understand:

“This energy means play.”

“This energy means pause.”

“This energy feels unsafe.”

And a child begins to understand:

“This feeling is excitement.”

“This feeling is worry.”

“This feeling will pass.”

But this understanding doesn’t come from being told.

It comes from being guided, grounded, and met consistently.

And that is often the hardest part—especially when we, as parents and adults, are learning right alongside them.

We won’t always get it right.

But our intention is to guide, to support, and to repair when needed.

Because all of it matters—the missteps, the blunders, even the guilt.

It also teaches them to take ownership of their mistakes—and to understand that making them is not only okay, but part of the process. The more we fixate on getting it “right,” the more they learn to do the same.

And in a world full of information, opinions, and noise… that can feel like a lot of pressure.

So we come back to this:

We are doing our best—with who we are, what we know, the child in front of us, and the moment we are in.

And that is enough.

Sensitivity Is Not Fragility

One of the most important insights from research is this:

Highly sensitive systems are not weaker.

They are more responsive.

In fact, studies on differential susceptibility show that sensitive children are more affected by their environments—for better and for worse.

Which means:

In chaotic or unpredictable environments → they may struggle more

In safe, attuned environments → they often thrive more deeply than their peers

The same can be said for dogs.

A sensitive, perceptive dog in a regulated, connected home becomes incredibly attuned, responsive, and intuitive.

A Gentle Reframe

So the next time you see:

A puppy bouncing wildly when the room feels tense…

A child melting down when something feels “too much”…

You might pause and wonder:

Are they reacting…

Or are they trying to understand?

Because underneath the behaviour is often a system asking:

“What does this feeling mean?”

And We Become the Answer

Our calm becomes their clarity.

Our presence becomes their map.

Our nervous system becomes the translator.

Not perfectly.

Not always easily.

But consistently enough that over time…

Confusion becomes understanding.

Reactivity becomes regulation.

And sensitivity becomes a gift—not a burden.

So, as I often tell the kiddos and families while supporting Effie’s training:

“Match the energy you want to see.”

And perhaps… we can gently remember to offer that same grace to ourselves.

Because in doing so, our children learn to do the same—

in their own time, and in their own way.

Research & References (for the curious reader)

• D’Aniello, B. et al. (2018; 2022). Dogs’ ability to detect human emotional states through olfactory cues. Scientific Reports.

• Emotional contagion in dogs: Human stress odor influences canine behavior and decision-making. Scientific Reports, 2024.

• Bray, E. et al. Developmental cognition in puppies vs adult dogs. Duke Canine Cognition Center.

• de Groot, J. et al. (2020). Chemosignals communicate emotional states in humans.

• Aron, E. & Aron, A. (1997). Sensory Processing Sensitivity and its role in temperament.

• Pluess, M. et al. (2018). Environmental sensitivity in children.

• Belsky, J. & Pluess, M. (2009; 2013). Differential susceptibility theory.

• Schore, A. (2001); Siegel, D. (2012). Co-regulation and emotional development in children.

Written with a deep appreciation for the quiet ways our animals—and our children—teach us to slow down, tune in, and truly see what’s beneath the surface.

With Love,

Mel Watts