loving petYour Pet May Even Love You Back

There are many wonderful health benefits to having pets. For those of us who are blessed to have a beloved pet, there is nothing more satisfying than coming home to that lovely face. We find ourselves thinking about them during the day and may even talk about them to our friends. Pets are often an extension of our families. Recently, there was a study published that may even show that we are not so crazy to think they love us back!

Keeping You Happy & Healthy

No one needs to tell you that your pet keeps you happy. No matter how sad I am when my little sheltie senses I need her she will curl up next to me, gaze into my eyes, and suddenly I just know that all will be ok. No one can convince me that my pup doesn’t love me. Someone who does not own a pet may say that this is not love but rather a learned response or an instinctual behavior. As it turns out (you negative nelly) she may actually love me and genuinely be concerned. Much like a human two year old doesn’t understand why a person is crying but tries to offer comfort; my dog may actually be showing concern and love. Love is an emotion of affection and attachment that can form bonds between two people. It was previously thought that this was purely a human emotion. When people feel love we release a hormone called oxytocin. This hormone makes us feel good, calms us, and can give us feelings of being uplifted. It is a natural stress reducer. It can even bring about feelings of loyalty, unselfish concern for another, and an instinctual need to protect that person that is the focus of the oxytocin spike. Feelings of love and affection!

Science Speaks! Dogs Can Love

Science states that the root of human love is oxytocin and the reason I love my children is because when I gaze at them, oxytocin is released. Over time the more this happens the stronger the bond and the stronger the sense of love. As it turns out the same may be true for your dog. More than 50% of American households have dogs as pets. Many others have other pets or a combination. The study published by Attila Andics, et.al.,, placed a number of dogs in an MRI machine and measured their brain patterns. They ran a series of activities using the dogs and their human companions and found a release of oxytocin between the humans and dogs. This was the first study of this kind. Love and loyalty has crossed the species barrier! If dogs and humans can feel love for each other perhaps we are missing the connection we could also have with other species. What better reason could we have to become more aware of how we are treating the Earth?

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