Found dogs performed test better if given the hormone

Researchers believe levels of oxytocin are boosted by interactions

The 'cuddle hormone' oxytocin is traditionally the way mothers bond with their children.

But researchers now believe it could be behind another long lasting relationship - between dogs and their owners.

Patting and talking to a dog for just three minutes has been found to increase oxytocin levels in the blood stream of both human and dog, researchers say.

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Researchers found that animals release the same 'love hormone' found in humans and believed to help create bonds with friends and even between mothers and their children.

THE LOVE HORMONE The hormone oxytocin is released in our bodies in various social situations and our bodies create it at high concentrations during positive social interactions such as falling in love, experiencing an orgasm or giving birth and breastfeeding. Oxytocin is also released during labour - triggering the production of breast milk - and floods the brain during breastfeeding, helping mother and baby bond. Previous research has shown that it helps diffuse relationship squabbles and leads to married men physically distancing themselves from attractive women. Advertisement

Australian researchers say that canines were far more alert after given the hormone.

'It has been postulated that the neuropeptide, oxytocin, is involved in human–dog bonding,' said Jessica Oliva, who carried out the research as part of her PhD in biological sciences at Monash University.

In humans, oxytocin is well known as a hormone that helps mother and baby bond, and as a chemical in the brain that increases the ability of people to understand emotions and solve social problems.

However, there is also mounting evidence that oxytocin is involved in bonding between humans and dogs.

For example, says Oliva, patting and talking to a dog for just three minutes has been found to increase oxytocin levels in the blood stream of both human and dog.

'This may explain why dogs, compared to wolves, are such good performers on object choice tasks, which test their ability to attend to, and use, human social cues in order to find hidden food treats,' the researchers wrote in the journal Animal Cognition.

'The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of intranasal oxytocin administration, which is known to increase social cognition in humans, on domestic dogs' ability to perform such a task.'

In the study, Oliva and colleagues looked at the impact of oxytocin on dogs' ability to use human cues to pick which of two bowls contained a hidden treat.

31 male and 31 female pet dogs were tested twice after being given oxytocin or a saline placebo, and given scores out of ten for their performance.

Importantly, in this study, oxytocin was administered to dogs via a nasal spray that ensured it would easily get into the brain.

The results, published in the journal Animal Cognition, show that animals given oxytocin outperformed those not given the chemical.

Moreover, this improvement in performance was still evident 15 days after the oxytocin was given.

'This told us that oxytocin is definitely involved in a dog's ability to use human cues.'

Previous experiments found that animals release the same 'love hormone' used in humans to create bonds with friends.

Experts say they were 'shocked' by the levels of oxytocin released in animals.

Paul Zak, a Professor at Claremont Graduate University in California, conducted several experiments to measure the levels of oxytocin, the body's 'happy hormone' released when pets interacted with other animals and humans.

'The results were kind of shocking,' he told MailOnline.

At an animal refuge in Arkansas, researchers obtained blood samples from a domestic mixed-breed terrier and a goat that regularly played with each other.

The team say that animals also release the hormone when in the company of other animals - but believe only domesticated animals

Their play involved chasing each other, jumping towards each other, and engaging in simulated fighting (baring teeth and snarling), Professor Zak said.

'We took their blood, had them interact in a closed pen, then took their blood again to check for changes in levels.

One experiment involved putting a pet dog and a goat together.

'The result was very surprising.

'The dog dog had a 48% increase, which was big for a human.

But the goat's response was incredible - for humans this it was basically true love.

' The only time I have seen such a surge in oxytocin in humans is when someone sees their loved one, is romantically attracted to someone, or is shown an enormous kindness.'

'Given oxytocinn came about to help bonding, it seems that domesticated animals form bonds and feel love in the same way we do.'

Professor Zak said the key was that only animals that have been domesticated appeared to show this response.

'It seems animals more social have higher densities of oxytocin in the front of the brain

This makes it feel good to co-operate.'

In a second experiment, 100 human participants came into the lab and gave blood samples to establish their baseline physiologic states.

Then they went into a private room and played with a dog or cat for 15 minutes.

Subjects then gave more blood, and their levels of oxycotin measured.

Researchers found the changes in humans differed from person to person - but could be predicted by asking people how many pets they had had before.

He also found different animals produce different responses.

'For dog people, they will admit to it, but cat people were in the minority and seem to have less of a bond.

'Dogs are best examples of humans playing god - they will always love their owners.'

Professor Zak also said that the research found that some people simply aren't 'animal people'

'We were doing some filming with the BBC, so we also took a presenter and had her hold a cure puppy - we found she only had a 3% increase in oxytocin - and she also admitted babies do nothing for her.