Pies: Petting dogs is proven to lower blood pressure of dog owners

Evidence: 49 • authority: 88

The Therapeutic Effects Upon Dog Owners Who Interact With Their Dogs in a Mindful Way. Problem. For many in contemporary culture, the pursuit of possession has become an attempt to achieve happiness. However, this path may not always be congruent with psychological well-being. In addition, this path may lead us further away from relationships within the natural world. Humanistic and existential psychologists have suggested that a mindful connection to ourselves, to other-than-human beings, and to the natural world would enable more meaningful lives. If dogs are considered an extension of nature and those interactions between dog and owner that promote mindfulness are examined, there is the…

Evidence: 49 • authority: 80

Do dogs behave differently during an owner’s pregnancy? Many dog owners think so

Evidence: 49 • authority: 88

Hormonal and Neurological Aspects of Dog Walking for Dog Owners and Pet Dogs. The hormone oxytocin is involved in various aspects of the relationship between humans and animals. Dog walking is a common activity for dog owners and their dogs. The walk, of course, should be good for the health of the dog as well as its owner. In Experiment I, we assessed whether salivary oxytocin and cortisol in dog owners changed because of walking their dogs. Ten owners walked with their dogs and walked alone. Similar to other previous research, walking with a dog did not significantly change oxytocin and cortisol. Therefore, in Experiment II, we investigated the effect of dog walking on brain noradrenergic…

Evidence: 49 • authority: 80

Improving dog welfare: Helping owners decode their dogs’ behavior

Evidence: 49 • authority: 92

A Conceptual Framework for the Co-Construction of Human-Dog Dyadic Relationship.. Dyadic co-construction, the mutual adaptation that occurs between dogs and their owners, is often discussed in terms of cooperation and participation, yet it remains poorly defined and under-conceptualized in the literature. This review proposed that self-determination theory (SDT), with its three core psychological needs-autonomy, competence, and relatedness (attachment)-offers a valuable framework for understanding this phenomenon within a dyadic context. The objectives of this review were twofold: (1) to conceptualize co-construction in owner-dog interactions through the lens of SDT, and (2) to propose meth…

Evidence: — • authority: 38