The bond between dogs and people was an inspiration since we can remember. If you ever saw the Disney animated adventure comedy film 101 Dalmatians you will know the scene where dogs and their owners look alike. This indicates the strong bond between dogs and people.
Through evolution, dogs stayed our loyal companions. This interesting co-evolution is still a hot topic of debates nowadays. Different brain scans from people and dogs show similarities – the biggest indicator is the hormone oxytocin (also known as the hormone of love).
RESEARCH
The researchers conducted two experiments where they observed canine-human interactions.
- In the first experiment, they observed how eye contact and touching influenced the levels of oxytocin (a hormone that indicates the bond between dogs and humans) in urine.
- RESULTS: prolonged eye contact and touching influenced the high levels of oxytocin in the urine of dogs
- In the second experiment, they administered oxytocin to dogs with nasal spray and observed behavior change.
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- RESULTS: only female dogs changed their behavior
- PROBLEM WITH RESEARCH: many unanswered questions are left after this study. In my own opinion, this indicates that female dogs create stronger bonds with humans than males, but for now, this will be a mystery and only further research will confirm this statement.
MUTUAL DOMESTICATION
The thesis that hunter-gatherers tamed and domesticated dogs were in recent years proven wrong. The researchers suggest that a mutualistic process of joining up has taken place, such an example was also in auto-domestication of cats in the Middle East.
They suggest that »friendly« wolves (those that have learned to live near human settlements without appearing as a threat and consequently being haunted) benefited from scavenging on discarded carcasses. On this topic is today know a very known phrase »give the dog a bone«.
At first, dogs served specific purposes such as hunting, protection, and herding, but through time humans created a special bond with dogs where the love hormone took place and that’s how they became parts of human families.
This reminds me of the TikTok trend: https://youtube.com/shorts/HhMFsg1Cj-g?feature=share
THE SPECIAL BOND
But why are bonds dogs with humans so special?
The answer lies in emotional responding and fitting in with human families.
The most interesting thing is, that well-adjusted dogs can not only understand our language to a certain degree but also respond to non-verbal cues (pointing or direction gaze). This places them on the same level of social behavior as 2-3-year-old children.
DOGS LEND A THERAPEUTIC PAW TO HUMANS
Some benefits of owning a dog:
- They help stressed students relax at exam time.
- They increase self-esteem.
- They help you increase social interactions and get you more physical activity.
- You will be less lonely and have better sleep.
- They support your mental health.
WHERE DO SIMILARITIES LIE?
Problematic behavior in dogs and humans has a similar background. We are all emotional creatures and that is one of the main reasons why are we so well-connected. Dogs see humans as their guardians, with that in mind, it is important that we treat them with kindness and compassion. Most dogs’ bad behavior stems from negative experiences and emotions. That is why is it important that we make them feel safe so that they can learn to express themselves effectively.
A little love goes a long way!
Readers that are interested in animal behavior stand to gain the most from the book:
Noise Matters: The Evolution of Communication by Haven Wiley
AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Noise-Matters-Communication-Haven-Wiley/dp/0674744128
Information found in the scientific article:
The original topic of scientific article, year, the magazine of publishing:
Are dogs just like us?; 2015; Current Biology 25
Author:
Michael Gross
