The mutual gaze shared by a dog and its owner triggers the same hormones as loving looks between a mother and child, a Japanese study published Friday in Science magazine shows.

The research said oxytocin levels in both dogs and owners rise when they interact, suggesting they share a bond similar to that of a parent and child. Oxytocin is known to play a role in maternal bonding, and increases when a mother and a child gaze at each other.

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