They might bark all night and poo on your carpet, but dogs really do love us, and now we have the science to back it up.
Oxytocin, also known as the ‘cuddle hormone’ has long been known to help forge the bond between a mother and her baby when they first snuggle up together.
However now scientists believe humans release this hormone when cuddling or patting a dog, and even more amazingly, the dogs release it too.
Researchers found that just cuddling up to your pet for three minutes can release the hormone, which may explain why humans and dogs have shared such a close connection for thousands of years.
Jessica Oliva, who carried out the research as part of her PhD in biological sciences at Monash University, said: ‘This may explain why dogs, compared to wolves, are such good performers on object choice tasks, which test their ability to attend to, and use, human social cues in order to find hidden food treats.’
The research team also administered the hormone to dog via nasal sprays, and found they became far more attentive and performed actions their human masters asked of them far quicker.Giant mutant spider dog prank is brilliant and incredibly cruel
So next time you want your dog to fetch your slippers, just give him a cuddle for a few minutes and he will do as you command.
Sadly this technique is not as effective with girl/boyfriends.