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Dog-owner bond similar to mother-infant relationship
woman with dog
"The human-dog relationship is exceptional because it is an interspecies form of attachment."
Mutual gazing between dog and owner triggers oxytocin release

Dog owners often admit to loving their pet as much as (or even more than) members of their family. New research findings may explain this, suggesting eye contact between dogs and owners triggers the release of oxytocin, facilitating the same bonding process that occurs between a mother and her child.

A team of Japanese scientists believe dogs may have acquired human methods of communication during domestication.

According to their research, which has been published in the journal Science, mutual gazing between dogs and owners triggered a significant increase in urinary oxytocin, which is also known as the 'love hormone'.

Gaze is an important part of human communication, enabling us to interpret another's intention and also, crucially, to establish relationships, for example social attachment between mother and infant.

Eye contact between a mother and her child releases oxytocin, which drives bonding between the two and generates maternal behaviours.

Writing in Science, researchers said: "The human-dog relationship is exceptional because it is an interspecies form of attachment."

Dogs and owners involved with the Japanese study were urine tested before and after a 30 minute period of interaction with one another. Dogs were divided into two groups - 'long gaze' and 'short gaze'. Owners and dogs in the long gaze group showed a significantly greater increase in oxytocin levels.

The same experiment was also carried out on hand-reared wolves. This group rarely showed mutual gazing with their owners and oxytocin levels remained unchanged. This suggests mutual gazing as a form of communication between dogs and owners evolved during domestication.

Commenting on the findings in Science, the researchers wrote: "These results suggest that humans may feel affection for their companion dogs similar to that felt toward human family members and that dog-associated visual stimuli, such as eye-gaze contact from their dogs activate oxytocin systems."

For the full research report: www.sciencemag.org/content/348/6232/333.full

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Reporting service for dead wild birds updated

News Story 1
 The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has updated its online reporting service for dead wild birds.

The new version allows those reporting a dead bird to drop a pin on a map when reporting the location. It also includes a wider range of wild bird species groups to select from when describing the bird.

The online service, which helps APHA to monitor the spread of diseases such as avian influenza, can be accessed here. 

Click here for more...
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NI chief vet urges bluetongue vigilance

Northern Ireland's chief veterinary officer (CVO) has urged farmers to be vigilant for signs of bluetongue, after the Animal and Plant Health Agency warned there was a very high probability of further cases in Great Britain.

There have been 126 confirmed cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 in England since November 2023, with no cases reported in Northern Ireland. The movement of live ruminants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland is currently suspended.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the virus is most likely to enter Northern Ireland through infected animals or germplasm (semen or ova) being imported.

Brian Dooher, Northern Ireland's CVO, said: "Surveillance for this disease within Northern Ireland has been increased to assist with detection at the earliest opportunity which will facilitate more effective control measures."

Farmers should report any suspicions of the disease to their private veterinary practitioner, the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or their local DAERA Direct Veterinary Office.