- [Narrator] Puppies, they're the furry friends
we take for granted.
But, how does having one affect us?
(upbeat music)
- My name is Meg Olmert and I'm the author of
"Made For Each Other: the biology of the human-animal bond."
Our journey with dogs began about 45,000 years ago
according to the latest archeological evidence.
It preceded many hundreds of thousands of years
with a more casual, and perhaps distant, pragmatic
relationship with wolves as well.
But about 45,000 years ago we start to see the bones change
and indications that A, dogs are certainly living with us.
And that living with us appears to have had certain
effects on their biology and their physiology.
That is what enabled them to
become our best friends.
- [Narrator] How does this relationship work?
- There is a feedback system that both neurochemically
and psychologically and behaviorally
that sets up between you and your pet.
And how good you are to your pet
is often exactly reflected back.
Although, what I would say
is they tend to be wildly generous.
More generous than we are.
So, that is why, you know, they'll be wagging their tail,
you know, thrilled to see you when you come home
or if it's a cat it's purring.
And you may be very distracted but they aren't.
You are the greatest thing they ever saw
if you've developed this relationship.
If you've earned it.
You have a different relationship with your own pet
versus your, even your neighbor's pet, because it's,
that's your closer family.
It's a different kind of bond and when they do FMRI studies
just like a mother will have certain brain regions
light up very strongly in the dopamine
and oxytocin rich areas when they look at a picture
of their baby versus just another infant.
When you look at a picture of your dog versus another dog,
you see the same thing.
If you love dogs you're gonna get this reward
to a degree whether you are looking at your dog or not.
Do therapy dogs work?
Well they certainly can.
Dogs can do amazing things.
With our program Warrior Canine Connection
we work with service members
and veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.
We have the patients who say, "This dog
is better than any drug I ever took.
I didn't sleep for five years until this dog
slept next to me."
- [Narrator] What happens to your body
when you're with your dog?
- [Meg] Your heart rate comes down,
your blood pressure comes down,
your heart rate variability which is the ability
of the heart to duck and dive
and respond to stress improves.
You release oxytocin, the opioids,
adrenaline, and serotonin.
So, all of these great reward chemicals
and anti-stress chemicals can be released
in both you and the pet.
- [Narrator] What is oxytocin?
- Oxytocin is a very ancient chemical.
It's in all social mammals.
There's variations on it that you find in birds
and in turtles, and in worms.
And it most effectively is known for releasing breast milk
and creating labor contractions.
That's what it was first known for.
So in a sense, it is the quintessential mammalian hormone
since live birth and production of breast milk identifies us
as mammals and mammary glands, et cetera.
About 25 years ago they discovered that besides the oxytocin
receptors and cells in the body that are producing oxytocin
in the breast and the uterus, lo and behold,
it's produced throughout the brain and in all the areas
that control behavior and emotion.
So what was it doing there?
And what they discovered was that it was talking to other
classic brain neurotransmitters such as serotonin,
and dopamine and adrenaline, and the opioid system.
And it was setting up, by doing that, this perfect
mental physiologic state of calm.
It is the most powerful drive and it creates the bond
that lasts a lifetime.
That's how strong it is.
(happy music)