Children’s Relationship With Their Pet Dogs and OXTR Genotype Predict Child–Pet Interaction in an Experimental Setting

Abstract

Human–animal interaction (HAI) research has increasingly documented the important role of pet dogs in children’s lives. The quality of interaction between children and their pet dogs, however, is likely influenced by individual differences among children as well as their perceived relationship with their pet dog. Ninety-seven children aged 7–12 years and their pet dogs participated in a laboratory protocol during which the child solicited interaction with their dog, from which time petting and gazing were recorded. Children reported on their perceived relationship with the pet dog via interview. Children provided saliva samples, from which a polymorphism in the oxytocin receptor, OXTR rs53576, which has long been implicated in social behavior, was genotyped. The results showed that OXTR genotype and children’s perceived antagonism with the pet dog predicted the amount of petting, but not gazing, between children and their pet dogs. This research adds to the growing body of HAI research by documenting individual differences that may influence children’s interactions with animals, which is key to research related to pet ownership and understanding factors that may impact therapeutic interventions involving HAI.

Human-Animal Interaction Research: Progress and Possibilities

“…The 13 studies in the Research Topic employed a wide range of measures, including salivary cortisol to assess Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal (HPA) axis reactivity and stress levels (Pendry et al, 2018;Pan et al, 2019), survey questions (Bures et al, 2019), and a genetic assay to look at the relationship between a single polymorphism in the oxytocin receptor and individual differences in response to HAI activities (Kertes et al, 2018).…”

Human–Animal Interaction and Perinatal Mental Health: A Narrative Review of Selected Literature and Call for Research

“…Although there has been limited empirical research in this area, there is some evidence to suggest that OXTR genotype (possibly affecting the expression of the oxytocin receptor and thus sensitivity to oxytocin) is linked with natural variation in interactions with dogs. For example, Kertes et al [ 188 ] examined whether the OXTR genotype was related to children’s perceived relationships and their petting and gazing behaviors with pet dogs. Simulating naturally occurring HAI in the context of a laboratory experiment, the results of this study indicated that variation at the OXTR polymorphism rs53576 was associated with the proportion of time spent petting during child–pet interactions, but not gazing behaviors.…”

“…Such findings complement other research documenting that children with anxiety disorders tend to interact with a pet dog for long durations and have fewer interactions with other people compared to children with other behavioral health problems [ 194 ]. Although there is significant need for replication of the Kertes et al [ 188 ] study in child and adult samples, this suggests that pets (i.e., dogs) may be important sources of social interaction for individuals with socioemotional difficulties or challenges connecting with other humans. Moreover, OXTR genotype may be a biomarker that warrants attention in studies examining the role of HAI in perinatal health.…”

“…Companion animals are often reported to be nonjudgmental, unconditional sources of support [ 116 , 198 ], which may amplify the utility of the socioemotional support they provide to humans. Although there are studies that have examined the effects of pets on the stress-response (e.g., cortisol, oxytocin) within people’s home environments (e.g., [ 142 ]) and/or over time (e.g., [ 199 , 200 ]), the majority of HAI biobehavioral research, as evidenced in the current review, is limited to single sessions (e.g., [ 176 , 177 ]) and controlled environments (e.g., laboratory setting or college animal-visitation program; [ 178 , 179 , 188 ]). Given the stress-buffering benefits following short-term exposure to companion animals (via animal-assisted interventions), it is possible that repeated exposures over time, through everyday interactions with pets at home, may promote the down-regulation of the stress response system (i.e., HPA axis), a return to homeostasis, and ultimately improve mental health during the perinatal period [ 139 ].…”

“…In a qualitative study, adult pet owners reported negative emotions (i.e., stress, sadness) associated with their pets’ behavioral problems, such as separation anxiety, inappropriate elimination, and aggression [ 202 ]. Kertes et al [ 188 ] found that children who reported greater frequency of negative interactions (i.e., annoyance) with their pets spent less time petting and engaging with their pet dog compared to those who reported less negative interactions. The results of these studies highlight the potential for negative aspects of pet ownership to jeopardize the human–animal bond, decrease time pet owners spend interacting with their pet (which has previously been discussed as a potential mechanism of stress reduction), and significantly impact the mental health and wellbeing of the owner.…”