Dogs hijack the human bonding pathway

Oxytocin facilitates social connections between humans and dogs [Also see Report by Nagasawa et al. ] Tens of thousands of years ago, a wolflike predator gave rise to a more docile lineage, which soon became our trusted fireside companions ( 1 ). How did dogs become so embedded in human societies? W...

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Published inScience (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 348; no. 6232; pp. 280 - 281
Main Authors MacLean, Evan L, Hare, Brian
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Washington The American Association for the Advancement of Science 17.04.2015
Subjects
Animal behavior
Attachment
Bonding
Dogs
Evolution & development
Pathways
Predators
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Summary:Oxytocin facilitates social connections between humans and dogs [Also see Report by Nagasawa et al. ] Tens of thousands of years ago, a wolflike predator gave rise to a more docile lineage, which soon became our trusted fireside companions ( 1 ). How did dogs become so embedded in human societies? Why do we feel genuine friendship, love, and social attachment in our relationships with dogs? On page 333 in this issue, Nagasawa et al. ( 2 ) reveal a powerful mechanism through which dogs win our hearts—and we win theirs in return.
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ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.aab1200