Dogs trigger release of dopamine in the same way as our children

The ‘cuddle hormone’ oxytocin is traditionally the way a mother bonds with her child.

But scientists say it’s also behind another long-lasting relationship – between dogs and their owners.

Scientist and author Meg Olmert says a cuddle with your pup triggers oxytocin release, helping you to bond with your pet and alleviate stress.

It also disperses the ‘pleasure hormone’ dopamine, boosting both your mood and long-term memory.

Ms Olmert said that different breeds can illicit a range of hormonal responses in your brain, with social dogs like golden retrievers triggering a chemical release that is distinct from breeds that we perceive as aggressive, such as bull dogs.

The ‘cuddle hormone’ oxytocin is traditionally the way a mother bonds with her child. A scientist has now revealed it could be behind another long-lasting relationship – between dogs and their owners (stock image)

Speaking to Business Insider, Ms Olmert said time spent with your dog carries a number of health benefits for both owner and pet.

‘Your heart rate comes down, your blood pressure comes down, your heart rate variability – which is the ability of the heart to duck and dive and respond to stress – improves.

‘You release oxytocin, the opioids, adrenaline, and serotonin. So, all of these great reward chemicals and anti-stress chemicals can be released in both you and the pet.’

Ms Olmert is an expert at the Warrior Canine Connection, an organisation that trains service dogs for veterans, and she has previously worked on research at the Karolinska Institute and the University of Maryland.

She said that our perceptions of breeds and even individual dogs can change the hormones we release when we meet them.

‘Cooperative working breeds’, such as golden and labrador retrievers, are more sociable and so are more likely to touch and make contact with us, triggering a stronger oxytocin response.

Ms Olmert told MailOnline: ‘These two breeds have been proven, over the decades, to be the most successful at providing this kind of skilled, dedicated service to humans.

‘One reason is their temperament. They are calm, extremely social, and highly focused on their owners.’ 

Breeds that work more independently of humans, such as herding dogs like Great Pyrennes may bring out a lower oxytocin response as they are typically less sociable.

Dogs that we stereotype as aggressive can bring out a fight-or-flight response in humans that alters the hormones we release.

Animal expert Meg Olmert says a cuddle with our pups triggers oxytocin release, alleviating stress and helping us reach a state of calm. It also disperses the 'pleasure hormone' dopamine, improving our mood and memory (stock image)

Animal expert Meg Olmert says a cuddle with our pups triggers oxytocin release, alleviating stress and helping us reach a state of calm. It also disperses the ‘pleasure hormone’ dopamine, improving our mood and memory (stock image)

Ms Olmert told MailOnline: ‘Dogs perceived as being fierce will trigger a different hormonal profile (increased cortisol, adrenaline, etc). They may not be an actual threat to illicit this defensive response.’

She said that no formal research has been done into the different hormonal responses brought out by separate breeds.

Humans have lived with dogs for the past 45,000 years, and this has allowed our species to evolve a special bond with canines that can be seen in the brain chemistry of pet owners.

‘There is a feedback system that both neurochemically and psychologically and behaviourally that sets up between you and your pet,’ Ms Olmert said.

‘FMRI studies show a mother will have certain brain regions light up very strongly in the dopamine and oxytocin rich areas when they look at a picture of their baby versus just another infant.

HOW DOES YOUR DOG CHANGE YOUR MIND AND BODY?

– Dogs have been shown to trigger the release of the ‘cuddle hormone’ oxytocin in their owners

– The chemical lowers your heart rate and blood pressure and relieves stress

– Our canines also cause our brains to disperse the ‘pleasure hormone’ dopamine

– This boosts your mood and long-term memory

– Eye contact and touch are potent triggers of oxytocin and dopamine

– This means social dog breeds like labrador and golden retrievers are more likely to illicit oxytocin release

– Breeds that are more independent of humans like Great Pyrennes may bring out a lower oxytocin response

– Dogs we perceieve as aggressive, such as bull dogs or German shepherds, initiate the fight-or-flight response

– This triggers the release of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline

– These chemicals raise blood pressure and heart rate and can suppress the immune system long-term

‘When you look at a picture of your dog versus another dog, you see the same thing.’

Oxytocin is known to help parents bond with their children and stimulates the release of breast milk.

It is produced in the brain where it interacts with other key pleasure hormones, such as serotonin, dopamine, adrenaline and the opioid system.

A 2007 study on prairie voles showed that those separated from their siblings exhibited signs of anxiety, stress and depression.

These symptoms were alleviated after they were injected with oxytocin, suggesting the hormone has an important role in how we deal with stress. 

Ms Olmert added that oxytocin acts on receptors in the brain to help us reach a ‘perfect’ mental state of calm.

She said: ‘It is the most powerful drive and it creates the bond that lasts a lifetime. That’s how strong it is.’

WHAT ARE THE TEN COMMONLY HELD MYTHS ABOUT DOGS?

It is easy to believe that dogs like what we like, but this is not always strictly true. 

Here are ten things which people should remember when trying to understand their pets, according to Animal behaviour experts Dr Melissa Starling and Dr Paul McGreevy, from the University of Sydney.

1. Dogs don’t like to share 

2. Not all dogs like to be hugged or patted 

3. A barking dog is not always an aggressive dog 

4. Dogs do not like other dogs entering their territory/home

5. Dogs like to be active and don’t need as much relaxation time as humans 

6. Not all dogs are overly friendly, some are shyer to begin with  

7. A dog that appears friendly can soon become aggressive 

8. Dogs need open space and new areas to explore. Playing in the garden won’t always suffice 

9. Sometimes a dog isn’t misbehaving, it simply does not understand what to do or what you want 

10. Subtle facial signals often preempt barking or snapping when a dog is unhappy

A number of previous studies have suggested our canines carry health benefits.

Researchers at the University of Chicago found that our pets help us feel less isolated and make us better socialisers, improving our mental health.

They suggested that taking our dogs out for walks may help us to interact more with our neighbours, which combats feelings of loneliness.

It may also be that our dogs sometimes force us to chat to strangers.

Chris Laurence, former veterinary director of Dogs Trust, said that when one dog stops to ‘talk’ to another dog, the owners stop to chat too.

He added: ‘If you are out with your dog, most people who are walking a dog will say “hello” at least, but other people without dogs just walk past. 

‘In terms of reducing loneliness, dogs are more of a spur to people. You don’t take your cat to a training class.’



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