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Oxytocin promotes social bonding in dogs
Romero T, Nagasawa M, Mogi K,…
Oxytocin promotes social bonding in dogs
Romero T, Nagasawa M, Mogi K, Hasegawa T, Kikisui T. 2014. Oxytocin promotes social bonding in dogs. PNAS. 111(25):9085-9090
Background
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In social mammals, long term social bonds affect fitness levels
Methods
Pretest
Dogs under 1 year, all large breed dogs, all completed trials both with saline and with OT
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Test
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Reviewed for social behaviors: time spent near partner, approaches, facial orientation, licking, nudging, etc.
Further Questions
OT may penetrate the CNS when administered intranasally. Are dogs/other animals able to smell when another animal has high levels of OT (similar to giving off a pheremone?)
What happens to OT levels when social affiliation is reciprocated (use no spray and allow owners to respond to their dogs, measure urine or plasma OT levels before and after session)
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Results
Human partners
Treated dogs approached their owners more or sat facing them/looking at them. This result was statistically significant.
Dog partners
Statistically significant results for amount of time spent with partner but results were not statistically correlated with treatment group, sex, kinship, or pre-OT levels
Results were significant and correlated to treatment group when looking at the proportion of time the dog tried to be with the partner
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