Scientists have much to say about our longstanding bond with dogs. From oxytocin to serotonin levels, research shows that when we interact with our pets we both experience more happiness than if left alone.
One study conducted at Azabu University in Japan by Takefumi Kikusui demonstrated that when people look directly into their dogs’ eyes, both parties produced the “love hormone,” or oxytocin.
Eye Contact
Research has demonstrated the unique bond between humans and dogs is remarkable, yet difficult to explain. Research indicates that dogs can detect human emotions based on visual and auditory cues – for instance, they prefer looking at those whose faces reveal either happy or sad emotions.
Dogs can pick up on emotional cues in people’s voices and use this information to determine which humans they should approach and with whom. As a rule of thumb, the more familiar a person is to a dog, the longer eye contact will remain between the two of them.
Study results revealed that when duos spent time gazing upon each other, both owners and dogs experienced an increase in oxytocin levels – the hormone associated with feelings of trust and love – both humans and dogs experienced this boost, leading to stress reduction, positive changes in blood pressure and heart rates and reductions in anxiety (Case 2005) — an effect known as “affiliative behavior.”
Touch
If a dog leans against you, that means they feel completely at ease with you and that is something they enjoy doing together. The same holds true if they bring one of their favorite toys or sleep next to you.
Studies have also demonstrated that when dogs detect humans, their reward center (caudate nucleus) becomes activated – this signals to your pup that he or she wants to interact with and gain affection from you!
Unsurprisingly, many people feel an affinity with their dog. For people living with disabilities or illnesses, companion animals such as canines can provide much-needed companionship – not to mention helping improve mood and overall well-being.
Smells
There’s no disputing the strong bond that dogs form with humans, yet what attracts dogs so strongly to us humans?
Studies have demonstrated that when dogs are exposed to familiar environments with familiar people or animals, their caudate nucleus lights up more than when exposed to unfamiliar people or animals.
However, research does not support the belief that dogs have special bonds with humans compared to other mammals or even other dogs. Wolves in particular tend to avoid humans but can easily be socialized into socializing by spending 90 minutes each day with their owners as puppies.
Gregory Berns suggests in his book that the answer may lie less with cognitive ability and more with “interspecies love”, though this remains mere speculation.
Taste
Dogs adore their owners — it’s that simple. Treat your pup with kindness and give him plenty of belly rubs — your bond with your pup will only deepen! Just a smile or belly rub will show he knows it means something!
Locking eyes with your pup releases oxytocin, the so-called “love hormone.” It works similarly to how mothers and infants form strong bonds between themselves and their offspring, and has multiple health benefits for both humans and dogs alike – including reduced heart rates and blood pressure as well as increases of dopamine and endorphin levels. Petting also reduces heart rates and blood pressures of both parties involved as well as higher levels of dopamine and endorphins being released by petting.
Current tools used to assess human-animal bonds include questions related to attachment, but only take account of human factors when measuring this relationship. A tool which accounts for canine factors could provide researchers with more data on how different kinds of dog-human bonds affect both parties involved.
Language
One of the strongest bonds dogs feel for humans is with each other. Although we cannot know exactly what these interactions mean to the dogs themselves, researchers have identified some fascinating insights about this human-dog bond.
Scientific Reports published a 2021 study showing that when dogs saw their owners making mistakes, the same area of their brain lit up similar to when hearing happy sounds. They could even distinguish between accidental and deliberate mistakes made by themselves and were even capable of telling which mistakes were intentional and which were unintentional.
Though affection can be expressed through gifts for our pets, we should remember not to overdo it as this could make the animal uncomfortable and could result in negative responses from him/her.https://www.youtube.com/embed/fnololkuTbc