Dogs might get depressed when owners overuse smartphones, study says

A new study shows dogs may become more anxious and possibly suffer from depression when their owners overuse their smartphones.

The United Kingdom-based study focused on how welcoming a pet, specifically a dog, could help people suffering from mental health issues. Researchers also learned that dogs may suffer from depression when their human handlers ignored them.

Philadelphia veterinarian Dr. Alexander Collada said he has seen the effects of smart phone usage on pets. Dogs are very good at reading our subtle cues.

"Dogs do read body language, they read our eye contact," Collada said. "They read our facial expressions, so if we are on our phone and acting disinterested, and they're looking for attention, it basically is ignoring your dog."

"We need to all get off our phones," Collada said.