People just have dogs in their homes and get amazing pleasure from talking and walking with them. This should have an explanation from a scientific point of view, and it is not complicated. It gave Meg Olmert, author of “Made for each other: the biology of human communication with animals,” in the material prepared by our colleagues from Business Insider. She spoke about the history of relations between dogs and humans and the impact of these relationships on the human body.
When people started having dogs
According to Meg, the first relationship between humans and dogs began about 45 thousand years ago. These data were obtained on the basis of archeological excavations that confirm that at about the same time the dogs began to live with a man. This has had some impact on their biology and physiology. This relationship was preceded by many hundreds of thousands of years, the relationship of people with wolves, which was considerably less close and more pragmatic.
As the communication with the dog affects a person
Meg believes in the existence of a system of neurochemical, psychological, and behavioral feedback, which is installed between the master and his pet. According to her, the owner is the greatest that has ever seen a dog, with which it has established communication. For this reason, the relationship between you and your dog is not the same as the relationship between you and the neighbor’s dog.
In the example of a mother who is experiencing completely different emotions while looking at a photo of their child and looking at photos of other children. When a person sees your child or your pet, aktiviziruyutsya areas of the brain in the areas rich in dopamine and oxytocin. This decreases heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and allocated opioids, adrenaline and serotonin. This anti-stress chemicals, and they stand out as the owner and the pet.
Communication with a dog makes you calmer and gives him pleasure. The production of adrenaline and serotonin can cause a variety of ways, but this method is very simple, affordable and has no side effects.
Do dogs therapeutic effect
There are programs where dogs are used for therapeutic purposes. On such a program works and Meg Olmert. It’s called Warrior Canine Connection. In this program, Meg has to help people with PTSD and stress. Many of the patients say that their dog is better than any medication.
As the communication with the dog affects the human body
Ernest Vasilevskiy