A recent study by scientists from the University of Azabu (Japan) shows that the eye contact with our pets helps us to reinforce the emotional link. And it is that with this small action we manage to increase the levels of oxytocin in the brain, considered the love hormone.
This is demonstrated by this research led by the Japanese veterinarian Takefumi kikusui, carried out with the help of 30 dogs of different breeds and ages (15 of them being males and 15 females) and their owners (24 females and 6 males). To carry it out, the dogs met with their owners in the same room, where they received caresses and affectionate looks, while the scientists recorded their reactions.
The oxytocin levels of all of them were measured through the urine, before and after the experiment. The results indicated that the more eye contact there was, the greater the increase in this hormone. Thus, the study concluded that by looking we can reinforce emotional ties with our dog.
To demonstrate the cause-effect relationship of this circumstance, a second experiment was carried out with bottle-reared wolves, although the oxytocin levels in them did not increase. In a third test, oxytocin was sprayed on the muzzle of some dogs, and they were put into a room with their owner and two strangers. In this case, only the females reacted by staring at their loved ones, in turn producing more oxytocin.
Regarding this peculiar detail, the Kikusui team believes that females may be more sensitive to intranasal administration of oxytocin, or that perhaps this hormone causes males to develop an aggressive mechanism in the presence of strangers.
'These results support the existence of a self-perpetuating oxytocin loop in the human-dog relationship, in a similar way to a human mother and her child«, Affirm those responsible for the study, whose conclusions have been published in the famous scientific journal Science.