Posted on 03/15/2024 7:39:03 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
A new study shows what dog lovers have known all along: petting dogs isn't just nice for the dog—it's good for you, too.
Scientists being scientists, they had to headline today's best story with this buzzkill of a buzzword salad: "Psychophysiological and emotional effects of human–Dog interactions by activity type: An electroencephalogram study."
I'm curious why Dog is capitalized but human isn't. Maybe these guys like Dogs as much as I do. Or maybe the AP Stylebook considers Dogs to be a marginalized group worthy of capitalization, like "Black" but not "White." Also, I had to look up "electroencephalogram," and I'm okay getting my skull all wired up for one if there are Dogs involved.
So what the scientists did was take a group of 30 adult humans between the ages of about 20 and 35 and give them Dogs to play with. But scientists being scientists, there was a bit more to it than that.
The humans had their heads wired up for electroencephalogram readings from the prefrontal, frontal, parietal, and occipital lobes of the brain. Each human was then given eight activities to perform with a single dog for three minutes per activity. The activities included "meeting, playing, feeding, massaging, grooming, photographing, hugging, and walking." Those are all things that good dogs love, except for the photographing part, which most dogs love but that the most photogenic dog in the world — my best girl, Remy — shies away from.
The photo atop this article is one of maybe six really good pictures I've gotten of her in 11 years. Seriously, she sees the camera come out (or the iPhone; she figured that out at once) and hides her face.
(Excerpt) Read more at pjmedia.com ...
The alpha (relative, relative slow, relative fast) power spectra indicated that the brain’s relaxation and resting state significantly increased when playing with and walking a dog. The beta (relative, relative low, and relative mid) power spectra significantly increased during dog massage, grooming, and playing activities, indicating improved concentration without stress. Notably, playing with a dog positively affected both relaxation and concentration.
If you read just a little further on, you'll see the details are even more encouraging, that "specific dog activities could activate stronger relaxation, emotional stability, attention, concentration, and creativity by facilitating increased brain activity."
Doesn’t this apply to cats as well?
I hear it relaxes people which increases the level of the feel good chemicals in the body, dopamine, and serotonin being two of them.
more fun without “the science”.
My question, too!
We have two, and if I DON’T pet them every day, they let me hear about it!
I’m their “administrative assistant”…..🙄
I don’t know if the article mentioned it, but petting animals causes the body to produce the hormone oxytocin which results in relaxation, trust, psychological stability in social situations, decreased stress and anxiety levels, possible influence on conditions like addiction, anorexia, anxiety, autism, depression, and PTSD.
It will lower your blood pressure.
“Doesn’t this apply to cats as well?”
I am inclined to think not. Cats allow human interaction only at the cat’s pleasure. Call it tolerance on the cat’s part whereas dogs will at any time drop whatever they are doing in order to interact with their human. Cats require the human to make an appointment.
I suspect that it does. Contrary to my inclinations as a dog person, out of simply pity I fed and then gradually took in a skittish cat that became a stray when a neighbor died. The cat now spends most of its time indoors in my company, often climbing into my lap to solicit affection. Somehow, the little so-and-so has won me over.
You apparently don’t know cats very well. Well, not at all, actually.
“Doesn’t this apply to cats as well?”
It works for me. In fact, when I started to just imagine stroking our softest cat during BP tests, my rates went way down. Now I do it all the time.
I really enjoy dogs. Especially bird dogs like golden retrievers, Irish Setters, and similiar breeds.
What about petting kitties? That always works for me.
My dog has never called me a right wing extremist insurrectionist racist.
He does howl from time to time though.
hmmmmmmmmm....I dont think so....LOL
If petting dogs is good, wouldn’t eating them be even better?
Same.... my Golden is my new soul mate since my husband passed..
RE: If petting dogs is good, wouldn’t eating them be even better?
If I followed this logic, I’d have to say the same about kissing your girlfriend.
There's no way to tell. It's the cats doing the testing.
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