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Oxytocin Promotes Social Bonding In Dogs (Introduction (Sociability…
Oxytocin Promotes Social Bonding In Dogs
Introduction
Sociability evolved to reduce the animals risk to predation or to help it find food.
Sociability seems to be adaptive on its own according to new research.
Individuals with strong same sex bonds have longer lives and produce more offspring.
Little is known about the neurochemistry of social bonds.
Oxytocin has been found to influence complex forms of social behavior such as trusting and generosity.
This study looks at if oxytocin in dogs helps maintain close social bonds in nonreproductive contexts.
Methods
OT was given intranasally to dogs.
After the treatment of OT, the dogs were watched in a room with their owner and another familiar dog for an hour.
The urinary level of OT was also taken before and after treatment.
Results
OT promoted positive behaviors between dogs and between the test dog and humans.
Dogs with OT had a stronger affiliation to their owners and also approached other dogs more than the control group.
The positive exchange between the dogs released released OT in their urine. This means that OT is involved in social bonds that are formed in dogs.
Discussion
OT makes dogs more likely to approach and affiliate with other dogs.
Bonds have value, so natural selection has favored neural pathways that help bond formation.
The same mechanisms that form intraspecies bonds also facilitate bonding between different species.
Main finding is that OT promotes social engagement.
OT is an important mechanism in evolution that has allowed different species of animals to form bonds without knowing the future benefit.