Dogs winning us over

How is it that dogs became our friends over tens of thousands of years to a point where some of us like them as much as we do people.

The same hormone which makes us responsive to our own young is partly responsible for this strong connection. Levels of oxytocin, which is a mammalian hormone, increase when our pooch gazes into our eyes. That’s right. We know we love our dogs. We can feel it. And over time this connection has helped cement our bond.

An experiment from Azabu University showed that eye contact between an owner and his dog results in the most effective rise in the level of oxytocin for the human. And because eye contact is important to humans there seems little doubt that eye contact is one of the important traits by which humans have chosen their pals over years of evolution.

Leah & Angela OMeara
Hound Dog Day Care (Specialists in Dog Minding & Dog Boarding, Pet Sitting Brisbane & Doggy Day Care Brisbane)