Looking Back on several decades of Dog Days That Made Us Better Humans

Saturday, July 4, 2015

homeward bound into our arms: why dogs are our kind of bestfriend

We brought home a new family member yesterday. Meet Cruiser, our new Golden Retriever 5month old baby. He's actually my husband's dog but everybody has called dibs on this pup too so we're staking our claim as well, whether he likes it or not! 

Dave & I always had dogs. When we didn't have any kids yet, we had, at one time, 14 of them. Cruiser is the 5th of our canine brood now.  He was our pick among 6 puppies where we narrowed our choices to the last two, the other being the dog-show enthusiast's more likely preference, and our hearts just couldn't resist selecting his cheerful energy at play and sweet, calm nature come cuddle time. Cruiser literally just sits on your lap or lie in your arms when we wanna go maternal & baby him.  Of all the dogs I've known, I have never had one as cool as Cruiser. His first night with us, the vote whether he can sleep in our room with all five of us, now his human pack, was unanimous as it's just impossible to resist this little rascal's charm.  

Come to think of it, why indeed are we such softies around this and every other pooch that has shared our lives? One look into those eyes & they've got us at first stare, lick, whine & whimper. Turns out, in a study at Japan's Azabu University, seems that the timeless bond between hounds & humans is somehow related to a surge of oxytocin in both parties when they look in each other's eyes. This same hormone is also associated with trust & love responsible for maternal bonding. Talk about a chemical reaction!

Whatever it is, there is undoubtedly a deep connection between our two species. Dogs wouldn't be called man's best friend for nothing, right? 

I'm writing this as we're all getting ready for bed & our little mutt's already found his space nestled in my kid's arms. It's going to be another good night for our 5plus 1 sleepover group. And for those of you who also know all too well the sweet bliss of having a pet dog, I say, good for you! We might just have found the secret to an overflowing supply of the "trust & love" hormone just by staring into the beady eyes of our furry friends!