Dogs really are capable of loving their owners, research suggests

They have long been known as man’s best friend: loyal companions that adore their owners.

But it’s not just an act to make sure they get fed – dogs really are capable of love, research has shown.

Scientists at the Claremont Graduate University in California found that domesticated animals release oxytocin in intimate situations, The Atlantic reported.

Known as the “love hormone”, it is the same chemical used to create close bonds between humans.

Dogs really are capable of loving

Well, any dog owner will tell you the truth of the above.

Dogs, Love.

Just like humans, their brains light up with the same chemical reaction for you, as you do for your family.

Not just dogs though, it seems other domestic animals have similar reactions.

“More striking was the goat's reaction to the dog: It had a 210 per cent increase in oxytocin. At that level of increase, within the framework of oxytocin as the ‘love hormone’, we essentially found that the goat might have been in love with the dog.”

Animals apparently experience the same love hormones we do, I wonder if they will test say Cows, who are know to have "best friends"

It also begs a larger question,

Does this effect how we view animals?

Knowing that our domestic animals at least (and probably more) feel or experience a similar emotion to Love that WE do?

a reply to: benrl

I believe that 100%

Our last dog, a yellow lab who's now gone, would look at me like my husband does like he really, really loved me
The look on his face touched me, if that makes sense
I'd lean over and hug him

And laugh, that dog could grin and do his mouth like he was laughing when we were playing. Well, he sure did make me laugh!!
Silly dog....

God I miss him. He was my buddy


Hoping for another one soon since it's been a couple of years
I keep hinting to my honey, being as my birthday is next month

-------------

ETA: They really do need a 'Pet' forum!!

Being a dog owner and lover, I see the relationship with our K9 friends multileveled.
First is of course a mutually beneficial arrangement. they protect and help us, and in turn, we provide safety and comfort for them...perfect symbiosis.
Then you have emotional weight between a owner and their pet. comfort, joy, friendship, etc. My neighbor could leave a steak on their porch everyday..and yes, my dog would make dang sure to go visit the neighbor everyday, but would always come home to hang with me once its done that (eventually anyhow). It knows who the family is (or pack in their mind most likely).

I think most domestic mammals have complex emotions. might be a necessary evolutionary trait actually to allow for mutually beneficial arrangements.

originally posted by: snarky412


And laugh, that dog could grin and do his mouth like he was laughing when we were playing. Well, he sure did make me laugh!!
Silly dog....

God I miss him. He was my buddy

My boyhood dog was a Lab/German Shepard mix,

I got her in junior high, she lived 17 long years.

Single smartest dog I ever had, she would knock to go in and out of the house (we didn't teach her that) she was freaky smart.

My friends would joke that she was a person, I never doubted her ability to understand, or love.



When you own a dog, you just know its so much more than a "pet" .

I kinda went nuts once I got my own house with a big enough yard, take in strays and cast aways, I am at around 8 permanent members.

With some being boarder waiting for their new people to take them.

a reply to: benrl

I grew up with a house full of pets. LOL
Then I worked part time for 4 years at a veterinarian clinic while in high school, so our house was sorta like a foster home until we found a place for the dogs/cats...oh and possums too [my sister worked there also]

When I trained him, I used hand signals as well so I hardly ever had to say anything, he just knew
Now my husband has this look that when he gave it to our boy, he would instantly drop to the ground
I never acquired that trick.....*shakes head*

And our lab was so obsessed with baseballs, we swore he was a reincarnated baseball player!!
The one before that, another lab, was more of a tug of war guy. However he did like playing with racquet balls --the blue squeezable ones-- they bounce really good.HA!
He could get 3 in his mouth at one time. I worried he was going to choke on one

But since our work causes us to travel & we live in a 5th wheel travel trailer, we limit the number of pets to 1
Right now, it's zero but I'm hinting big time!!

Yep, animals love you unconditionally
*sigh*

Well this is obvious

a reply to: SaturnFX

This picture reminds me of a photo from a zoo in Australia where the chimpanzees would go into the dingoes' enclosure and steal dingoes to take back. The dingoes looked comfortable and the chimpanzees seemed to really love the dogs!

I've been a cat lover since I was born and have always wanted to have that special relationship with my cat (No, not that kind, but I do love pus....never mind!)

Anywho, within the past few years I got a dog (thanks to PTSD and my wife). Now, I love both and the best part is my cat's eyes turn blue when he sees me and my dog is a complete idiot!

While my cat's love is deep and sincere, my dog's love is true and honest.

Yes, animals can certainly love just as humans.

The bigger question is....

Can humans love?

I have to open another thread to disagree you ,OP.

originally posted by: SaturnFX
Being a dog owner and lover, I see the relationship with our K9 friends multileveled.

Would you use a cage to lock up your friends and use a rope to tie your friend?

I mow lawns for a living and despite the reputation between dogs and lawn mowers, I have never had a problem with any clients dogs, except for ONE little dog that is clearly suffering a bad case of little man syndrome. If dogs were the viscous animals many made them out to be, then I wouldn't have any limbs left considering my job and the amount of different dogs I come across. I always make an effort to say hello to the dogs and even pat them if they let me.

A good dog is like a good human, it will treat you how you treat them. And whenever I have been in a bad mood from a bad day at work, just spending 5 minutes with him makes all my problems seem trivial.

But one thing I have learnt from dogs is that they are excellent judges of human character. They know when a human has bad intentions almost as if it picks up on its vibes,aura or whatever you want to call it. They also seem to know when a human has nothing but good intentions. Our body language and tone of voice are very important to a dog in assessing our character. And yes, there will always be dogs that attack for no reason, yet when has that not happened in the human world ?

originally posted by: candlestick
I have to open another thread to disagree you ,OP.

originally posted by: SaturnFX
Being a dog owner and lover, I see the relationship with our K9 friends multileveled.

Would you use a cage to lock up your friends and use a rope to tie your friend?

Both my dogs don't and will never be locked up in a cage. The have free reign over our house and land. Not everyone will give their dogs the respect they deserve but most dog " lovers " will treat them with the up most respect.

A rope is used to control a dog for obedience and safety for both its self and others. And many other useful reasons.

I think you are barking up the wrong tree to use your human vrs dog reasoning.

a reply to: Spiro

Yeah,control and obedience,it seem more like a good slave than a friend.
I dislike people use the relationship of human to describe a pet.

> jumping on the bandwagon ?
Seem most of people in here own pets.

originally posted by: candlestick
a reply to: Spiro

Yeah,control and obedience,it seem more like a good slave than a friend.
I dislike people use the relationship of human to describe a pet.

> jumping on the bandwagon ?
Seem most of people in here own pets.

Well its obvious you don't own a dog so how you can pass judgement is beyond me

Lets get something straight here, dogs are NOT humans, they act differently thus needing treated differently. What you are saying is exactly what you are disliking......the relationship of human to describe a pet"

Are you therefor saying that if a parent is in Disney Land and for fear of the child running away they wrap a band around its wrist, with a lead, to join on to the parents hand......is this control or is it for safety?

a reply to: Spiro

I said "it SEEM" more like a good slave than a friend. I just read you said "I love dogs. I have two collie's [sheep dogs] and guess what? They ARE my best friend"...

You are not the parent of the dog ....

Mornin',

I don't see what all the stink is about.
As far as I am concerned...my dog owns me.
I treat him better than I treat 98% of the humans on this planet.
I treat him better than I do myself.
He is not some "beast" what I exert my control and dominance over.
Every meal he eats is non-GMO/transgenic human food and is specifically prepared for him just as I would for another person.
He is the compass by which I steer.
He is my best friend.
I don't know what I will do without him.
He is so lost without me that he refuses to eat his food unless I coax him.
He spends his every waking minute at my side.
His dilligence has prevented two house fires and saved my mothers life once.
He even alerted me to a break in that was in-progress.
By that token, he's a more valued member of my family than I am.
If my uncle or sister died...sure, I'd be upset but I'd get over it.
But if something ever happened to my puppy...I'd be absolutely devastated.
Everytime I leave the house to goto work, you'd think I was leaving him for the last time.
He loses his mind.
The only way he seems to feel secure is when some part of him is touching some part of me.
No one will ever lament my passing the way I will lament his.
Dogs of his breed are not long lived (12 years on average) and he's already 11.
I can't even begin to tell you how stressed out I will be on the day he is no longer with me.
(Ironically, probably not far from how he feels everytime I step out the door without him!)
Wonderful article OP.
S+F

-Peace-

a reply to: Eryiedes
I understand every thing you posted and I feel for you now. I lost the love
of my life April last year .. so it's been a year and I still feel lost in the sauce
so to speak. He was my best friend and my companion we were completely imprinted on each other
and I feel sorry for the people that have a dog and have never experienced what we have experienced it takes life to another level.
I now have a beautiful Husky who will be a year old tomorrow. My son saw how devastated my husband and I were after
we lost our baby that he could no long handle our break down and decided a new puppy would help us. So last August we were given a crazy rambunctious certified nut job ball of fuzz for our 25th anniversary and 9 months later my life is complete once again it took awhile, but it came. I feel full of love again and continue to grow in the joy he brings me every day. To the op S&F good thread!

My Best Friend Indy

originally posted by: candlestick
a reply to: Spiro

I said "it SEEM" more like a good slave than a friend.

To enslave a dog one would have them cutting the lawn, doing the dishes, cooking, shopping, out working......

Joking of course, but

There is a huge difference between seemingly seeing a dog as a good slave and a good friend.

I just read you said "I love dogs. I have two collie's [sheep dogs] and guess what? They ARE my best friend"...

You are not the parent of the dog ....

Indeed I did say that

However I did not say I was the parent of the dog. I don't understand the connection your saying here? Whats your point?

Cheers

originally posted by: starlitestarbrite

That is a beautiful dog indeed

Cheers

originally posted by: candlestick
I have to open another thread to disagree you ,OP.

originally posted by: SaturnFX
Being a dog owner and lover, I see the relationship with our K9 friends multileveled.

Would you use a cage to lock up your friends and use a rope to tie your friend?

Care to say why you disagree?

Your questions just don't make any sense, is this what you think dog lovers do to their dogs, put them in cages and tie them with rope?

a reply to: candlestick

I have two collie's [sheep dogs] and guess what? They ARE my best friend"... - See more at: www.abovetopsecret.com...

Now I would really like to know why you disagree with the OP if you have 2 dogs and they are your best friends.