An Examination of Changes in Oxytocin Levels in Men and Women Before and After Interaction With a Bonded Dog

Abstract

Oxytocin (OT) is a neuropeptide increasingly recognized for its role in bonding, socialization, and stress relief. Previous research has demonstrated participants' OT levels increased after interacting with or petting a dog, suggesting OT is at least partially responsible for the calm, relaxing feeling that participants experienced during this intervention. The purpose of our study was to more closely examine changes in oxytocin levels in men and women in response to interaction with their own dog after being separated from the dog while at work all day. This condition was compared with a reading control condition, without the presence of the dog. Because the workplace is a common stressor, participants were examined after work to evaluate how interacting with a pet may help decrease stress, as evidenced by increases in serum oxytocin levels. Ten men and ten women participated in the study. Serum oxytocin levels were obtained before the participants had contact with their dogs and then again after 25 minutes of interaction with their dog. The same protocol was followed for the reading condition except that instead of interacting with their dog, participants read nonfiction materials selected by the researchers. Serum oxytocin levels increased statistically more for women who interacted with their dog when compared with women in the reading condition (p = 0.003). There was no significant increase in oxytocin level in men after interaction with the bonded dog compared with the reading condition; in fact, male oxytocin levels decreased after both the dog and reading conditions. These results suggest that men and women may have different hormonal responses to interaction with their dogs. It is unclear to what degree OT reactivity was affected by hormones, personality traits, or interpersonal relationships; factors which warrant further research.

The relationship between persons with mental health problems and their dogs: A qualitative study within a nursing perspective

“…If the respondents experience a release of oxytocin when in contact with their dogs, they may develop the same attachment to the dog as to a child, which is consistent with their respondents. Miller et al [16] found that this effect was only significant in women, although in the present study, the male participant possibly seemed even more attached to his dogs than the rest of the group. This may be attributable to the fact that he had a smaller human network, but if not, oxytocin alone cannot explain the attachment.…”

“…The other theory that has emerged from recent research is that contact with animals causes humans to release the peptide hormone oxytocin, just as they do when they care for or nurse an infant [16] . This hormone is known to reduce stress and anxiety.…”

Animal-Assisted Interventions for Children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

“…Several studies documented that human-animal interactions have the potential to increase oxytocin levels in humans (e.g., Odendaal & Meintjes, 2002;Miller, Kennedy (2012) proposed that most of the positive physiological, psychological and social effects of animals on human well-being are mediated via the activation of the oxytocin system. Especially the stress-and anxiety-reducing effects that result from a release of oxytocin in response to animal contact were suggested to be a core mechanism underlying many of these effects (Beetz, Uvna¨s-Moberg, et al, 2012).…”

Animal-Assisted Interventions; Effects on Human Mental Health - A Theoretical Framework

“…Oxytocin coordinates both the causes and the effects of positive social interactions, and it can be conditioned to the psychological state or imagery of people. An increase in the beneficial hormone oxytocin is also observed when humans interact with pet animals (Handlin, 2010;Miller et al, 2009;Odendaal & Meintjes, 2003). In the PhD-thesis of Handlin (2010), ten female dog owners and their male Labrador dogs participated together with ten controls.…”