According to research conducted by the Japanese Azabu University, a Shih Tzu’s mother is also a mother. In fact, there is a special bond between humans and their best friends.
This bond is formed through a hormonal process activated when they look at each other, which functions very similarly to what happens between a mother and her child.
The Shih Tzu’s Gaze
This gaze triggers the release of oxytocin in both the Shih Tzu and its owner’s brains, a hormone related to parental behavior. Oxytocin also acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain and plays an important role in recognizing and establishing social bonds, as well as forming trusting relationships.
How the Research Was Conducted
To conduct the research, scientists placed several dogs with their owners in a room and analyzed each interaction between them for 30 minutes. Then, they measured oxytocin levels in both the dogs’ urine and that of their owners. They discovered that constant eye contact between them increased the hormone levels in both their brains.
“THE SAME CONNECTING MECHANISM, BASED ON INCREASED OXYTOCIN WHEN THEY LOOK AT EACH OTHER, THAT STRENGTHENS EMOTIONAL BONDS BETWEEN MOTHERS AND THEIR CHILDREN, ALSO HELPS REGULATE THE BOND BETWEEN SHIH TZUS AND THEIR OWNERS,”
In a second experiment, researchers applied oxytocin to the noses of some dogs and placed them in a room with their owners and some strangers. The animals’ response was that they spent more time looking at their owners, which, after half an hour, caused oxytocin levels to rise in the owners as well.