Be Canine Kind
The Importance of Bonding with Your Dog Explained – How Petting Benefits Both You and Your Pooch
The Importance of Bonding with Your Dog Explained - How Petting Benefits Both You and Your Pooch
By Perky Tails
What exactly is the importance of bonding with your dog? Here we’re going to look at the importance of cuddles and strokes, for both the owner and the dog, how an affectionate relationship with your dog can improve your health and well-being.
The Benefits to You
Companionship – Man’s best friend… A phrase that everyone is familiar with but why has it gained such traction? First and foremost, it is because dogs are able to understand our language and are finely tuned to our emotions. They are able to understand what we say and can interpret non-verbal cues such as body language and tone of voice. This is why the companionship that comes with dog ownership can be so effective at combating loneliness.
Loneliness (especially in older people) is one of the leading causes of depression. However, looking after a dog is a sure-fire way to create a greater sense of purpose. After we retire and our children move out, it is common to lose your sense of purpose. However, caring for and bonding with a dog has been shown to increase feelings of self-worth. Simply owning a dog is perhaps the best treatment for loneliness there is
Better Mental Health – In addition to easing the symptoms of loneliness, canine companionship can also bolster your mood and ease depression. Studies have shown that bonding with your dog, triggers the release of feel good chemicals in the human brain. For example, the bonding process triggers the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter responsible for pleasure.
In fact, studies have shown that bonding with your dog owners are less likely to suffer from anxiety and depression than people who do not own a dog. Not only can bonding with your dog work like an anti-depressant but studies show this can take effect in less than five minutes!
Bonding with your dog has such profound effect on our mental health it fulfils the need for touch. Such is the importance of physical contact that dangerous criminals have been shown to exhibit positive behavioural changes after stroking dogs. It is believed that the calming effect produced by petting a dog can ease the negative emotions that lead to crime.
Better Physical Heath – Bonding with your dog also been shown to lower cortisol (a hormone linked to high blood pressure and increased risks of heart attacks) and reduce levels through the release of oxytocin.
Several studies have found that oxytocin is released into the body through the activation of sensory nerves- basically meaning skin to skin contact. However, Miller et al (2009), and Handlin et al (2001), found that out of all the animals petted, physical contact with the dogs released a particularly large amount of oxytocin comparatively.
This is important because too much cortisol can lead to poor physical health and long-term health problems. For example, high cortisol can lead to raised blood pressure and increased risk of heart attacks, heart disease and diabetes.
The Benefits to Your Dog
There is no doubt that today’s world is stressful so it makes sense to spend time bonding with your dog. Not only will it improve your mood, but the tangible physical changes that it brings about can also ensure you will live a longer, healthier, happier life. But it’s not all about us – how can bonding with your dog benefit your pooch?
Reassurance – Dogs are naturally social animals and exist as members of a pack. As such, they respond to physical cues from humans and other dogs. For example, a dog that is upset or anxious is likely to view petting as reassuring. This is because as with humans, the bonding process releases neurotransmitters in dogs that elevate mood.
Social Needs – Apes and monkey groom one another as part of their natural behaviour patterns as a way of communicating love and appreciation and to satisfy one another socially. When a human being pets their four-legged friend they are communicating a similar message and this helps dogs to feel fulfilled socially.
Mental and Physical Well-being – The studies showing the benefits bonding with your dog has for humans can also be seen in dogs. This includes:
- Lower blood pressure
- Reduce heart rate
- Release of the feel-good chemicals in the brain
Saying this, a dog that is under server psychological stress is also more likely to perceive petting as domineering behaviour and may view it as aggressive. As such, it is recommended that you only try to calm a dog you know well. If you want to be extra safe then make sure you are in a familiar environment. If it isn’t your own dog, the experts at k9ofmine suggest seeking the owner’s permission first of all and approaching the dog side on instead of head on (which may be seen as aggressive).
Of course, every dog is different and therefore, if you are meeting a new dog, you should always pet with care. This will allow you to ascertain how they respond to physical contact. As a general rule, the chest, shoulders and base of the tail are ‘safe’ zones, whereas areas like inside of the ears, belly or muzzle are likely to result in a negative reaction.
The main area suggested to garner the best results, however, is the hips and lower body of the dog. The reason for these differences is it’s important to remember that dogs are sensitive on their ears and eyes etc- as they are their sensory receptors. Would you want a stranger coming up and tugging on your ears?
A Word of Caution
Saying this, a dog that is under server psychological stress is also more likely to perceive petting as domineering behaviour and may view it as aggressive. As such, it is recommended that you only try to calm a dog you know well. If you want to be extra safe then make sure you are in a familiar environment. If it isn’t your own dog, the experts at k9ofmine suggest seeking the owner’s permission first of all and approaching the dog side on instead of head on (which may be seen as aggressive).
Of course, every dog is different and therefore, if you are meeting a new dog, you should always pet with care. This will allow you to ascertain how they respond to physical contact. As a general rule, the chest, shoulders and base of the tail are ‘safe’ zones, whereas areas like inside of the ears, belly or muzzle are likely to result in a negative reaction.
The main area suggested to garner the best results, however, is the hips and lower body of the dog. The reason for these differences is it’s important to remember that dogs are sensitive on their ears and eyes etc- as they are their sensory receptors. Would you want a stranger coming up and tugging on your ears?
Conclusion
Studies have shown that just getting close to your four-legged friend can have long lasting, benefits for both you and your pooch. For humans, dogs provide an unconditional love and support. This can benefit people who are at a higher risk of suffering from loneliness (such as the elderly) as well as benefitting physical and psychological health. Bonding time is equally beneficial for dogs but be sure to exhibit caution when approaching a new dog. When doing so, we recommend that you focus mainly on ‘safe’ areas.