Man's Best Friend and Touch

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Man’s best friend or your baby right? I’m sure you refer to your dog that way. I mean everyone loves their puppies, well except if they have a terrible allergy, but many still continue loving them. Humans and dogs have been companions for thousands of years, according to Classen, they have been hunting assistants, chest and lap warmers, they were given to ladies to be play companions and entertain them during long carriage rides, and even in some depictions biblically present at events such as the last supper eating the crumbs.
Touch plays a role in this human animal bond, because if there is no loving and trusting touch between the human and animal, there is no relationship. And as Classen points out, the word pet explains within itself a pet, we pet a pet! Good news is that if you are obsessed with your pooch and call them your best friend or baby you actually aren’t crazy, science is on your side. Studies show that a few minutes of stroking our pet dog prompts a release of a number of "feel good" hormones in humans, including serotonin, prolactin (the hormone found in breast milk) and oxytocin. It also decreases cortisol, our stress hormone. Cortisol causes high blood sugar and suppresses the immune system, so as you can see too much is very harmful. In our body the hormonal changes that occur when humans and dogs interact could help people cope with depression, anxiety, and certain stress-related, high cortisol disorders.
One of the most influential studies come from Kerstin Uvnas-Moberg, an M.D. and Ph.D. at Uppsala University in Sweden. Uvnas-Moberg and her team studied the effects of owner and dog interactions by taking blood samples from owners and their dogs before and during a petting session. The samples taken before the petting didn't show any results, but samples taken within one and three minutes during the petting showed increased oxytocin in both the owner and the dog. Oxytocin is an indispensable part of childbirth and mother-child bonding. It's most widely understood function is its role in childbirth, it causes the uterine muscles to contract once released and it is present in the male reproductive system. After birth, mothers can establish intimacy and trust with their baby through gentle touches and even a loving gaze. Studies have also shown that a rise in oxytocin levels can even relieve pain. Oxytocin also can increase trust levels and make people feel more at ease in social situations. So next time you’re sad and petting your best furry friend calms you down, remember all the “feel good” chemicals flooding your brain.


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