NCSB Journal Summer 2026

lectively, this body of work on the human– animal bond suggests that positive relationships with animals have copious benefits including improved mindfulness and self-esteem; reduc tions in stress, fear, and anxiety responses; healthy childhood attachment behavior; and measurable physiological benefits, including lower heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol levels. When discussing the research with my father, he said, “It’s not surprising to me that studies are showing the benefits of pets on people’s mental health. I think we are all aware of how intense the human-animal bond is and always has been. People turn to animals to be their companions; they love their pets and trust them to help them with their mental health and their physiological regulation.” Human-Animal Co-Regulation Over the past decade while studying nerv ous system regulation, I came to learn that the human-human, animal-animal, human-ani mal nervous system influence has a name: “co regulation.” Co-regulation is the process by which one individual’s calm, regulated nervous system helps stabilize and soothe another’s physiological and emotional state through pres ence and connection. Humans and other animals are neurobio logically wired for co-regulation to survive as, historically, survival depended on connection rather than isolation. This concept makes sense if we think about human communities and animal packs being more likely to survive to gether than alone. Human and animal nervous systems evolved such that we downregulate (calm) in the presence of trusted others and become more alert (upregulate) when alone. Co-regulation helps us to conserve energy when we feel safely connected to others (hu mans or animals) and mobilizes to quickly ex pend energy in response to threat, making co regulation a fundamental survival mechanism. Human-animal co-regulation has existed for ages; for example, dogs and horses resting around a fire with humans when safe, and dogs barking or horses spooking to alert the animal or human pack to an intruder. In modern times, human–animal co-reg ulation occurs when we touch our pets, relax or play together, sync our breathing patterns, or simply hang. Co-regulation lowers the stress hormone cortisol as well as adrenaline, and increases release of the bonding and calming hormones oxytocin and dopamine. Over time, being soothed by an animal can strengthen a person’s capacity for self-regulation, making

it easier to return to a regulated state even in the absence of the animal . Co-Regulation in the Law For attorneys and judges, co-regulation in professional settings can be difficult to access. The legal system is inherently adversarial; in stead of coming together to “protect the pack,” lawyers representing opposing parties are pitted against each other. Similarly, judges are not in an optimal position to co-regulate with litigants. An adversarial environment keeps the nervous system in a prolonged state of activation, limiting opportunities for safe, supportive connection, and depleting energy reserves over time. Co-regulation with col leagues can also be challenging in the legal field, where the fast pace and constant de mands of legal practice often leave little time or space to pause and connect in supportive ways that foster co-regulation. Animals provide a straightforward trust worthiness that can be challenging to come by in the practice of law. “I’m often asked if it is not confusing that animals can’t tell you where they hurt,” my dad shared, “and I say quite the contrary. Animals tell the truth and they don’t tell me any lies about where they hurt or how they got into the position to hurt.” If only the same could be said for all of our clients and adverse parties! Intentionally incorporating co-regulating experiences with animals can help counterbal ance co-regulation challenges at work. Inter actions with pets—whether during the work day at home (or in pet-friendly workplaces) or after hours—can support a return to nerv ous system regulation and physiological bal ance. In addition to decreasing cortisol and increasing the “happy hormone” oxytocin, positive human-pet interactions are associated with improved heart-rate variability and acti vation of the “rest and digest” parasympathetic nervous system. 2 Five Tools to Deepen Co-Regulation with Your Pet If you would like to improve your co-reg ulating skills and deepen your human-pet bond, you may enjoy practicing a few of the skills below, adapting as needed for your par ticular pet and their needs. 1. Full Presence— Sit for 5–10 minutes with your pet without your phone. Talk to your pet, snuggle your pet, or just be together. Notice your pet’s body language and tune into your own nervous system as you connect.

2. Soft Eyes— Let your eyes relax rather than focus sharply. Allow your peripheral vi sion to widen, soften the muscles around your eyes and forehead, and briefly meet your pet’s gaze with a gentle smile on your face. After a moment, look away naturally and then come back to a soft eye gaze. Notice if you or your pet looks away first. 3. Syncing Breath— Sit or lie near your pet and observe the pace of their breath. Grad ually match your inhale and exhale to their rhythm, keeping your breathing steady and unforced; if appropriate, rest a hand on your chest and another on your pet to feel the ca dence more clearly. 4. Follow their Cues— Observe your pet’s behavior and respond accordingly—join them on the floor if they settle nearby, engage if they initiate play, or give space if they move away. Let their pacing, energy level, and pref erences guide the interaction without trying to redirect or override them. 5. “Borrow” their Calm— Keep a photo of your pet accessible or visualize a calm, en joyable moment with them when your nervous system is dysregulated and you feel anxious, distracted, frozen, or collapsed. Focus on spe cific details of your pet, such as how they look at rest or the feeling of their presence. Sit with that image or feeling for a few moments and notice how it impacts your nervous system. A note on dysregulation and meeting your pet’s needs: If your pet frequently appears anxious, reactive, or unable to settle, it may reflect unmet needs for movement, stimula tion, or interaction, among other things. At tending to these needs through play, walks, or new experiences can improve their behavior while supporting your own need for breaks and reset. If challenges persist, working with a qualified trainer who understands co-regu lation can help you and your pet communi cate more clearly and establish more consistent signals of safety and often improve regulation on both sides. Co-Regulating With Your Pet is a Trans ferable Skill Being a calming presence for others is a core skill in both lawyering and judging, and one that we can foster with conscious inten tion. The more you practice regulating your own nervous system while co-regulating with your pet, the more readily those skills carry into your work and co-regulating with clients, colleagues, jurors, and judges. In that sense, the legal field has much to learn from the nerv-

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