Abstract
The hormone oxytocin is involved in various aspects of the relationship between humans and animals. Dog walking is a common activity for dog owners and their dogs. The walk, of course, should be good for the health of the dog as well as its owner. In Experiment I, we assessed whether salivary oxytocin and cortisol in dog owners changed because of walking their dogs. Ten owners walked with their dogs and walked alone. Similar to other previous research, walking with a dog did not significantly change oxytocin and cortisol. Therefore, in Experiment II, we investigated the effect of dog walking on brain noradrenergic and GABAergic neural activity, as indicated by salivary MHPG and GABA, in 14 dog owners. Walking with a dog reduced salivary MHPG compared to walking alone, and MHPG was correlated negatively with GABA. Thus, dog walking activated GABAergic nerves in the brain and suppressed noradrenergic nerves, effectively relieving stress.
Highlights
Dogs and other companion animals have healing effects on people, such as producing enjoyment and stress relief [1,2,3]
Dog walking is a common activity for dog owners and their dogs [10,11]
Salivary DOPAC was 0.00 to 35.05 ng/mL (4.3 ± 1.1 ng/mL) in pet dogs, which was significantly lower than the levels of their owners (p < 0.0001, t-test), there were no changes with walking
Summary
Dogs and other companion animals have healing effects on people, such as producing enjoyment and stress relief [1,2,3]. Considering that humans have lived with dogs longer than any other domesticated animals [4], the healing effects of human–dog relationships have been taken for granted. Researchers have posited that the intimate relationship between owners and their dogs is similar to the mother-child relationship commonly found in mammals [6], with the hormone oxytocin playing an important role. Oxytocin secretion increases when an owner strokes or gazes at their dog [5,7,8,9], which might explain the health benefits of human–dog interactions. Hormones such as oxytocin and cortisol were the main indicators of the effects of walking [12], and heart rate variability analysis was the only neurological index [13,14].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
