If you own a dog, you know the joy of being greeted by a wagging tail, unbridled enthusiasm and a wet nose and kisses. Does your dog love you because you feed him or would he choose you over say, another dog?
A neuroscientist at Emory University in Atlanta, Dr. Gregory Berns, decided it was worth investigating, according to Psychology Today. Berns and his associates studied the canine brain and its responses while in an MRI.
Again, if you own a dog, you know it can be difficult to get a dog to sit for a family portrait, never mind lay still long enough for imaging in a noisy, banging MRI. The dogs used for the study underwent very specialized training, according to Psychology Today.
Three odors were used: one from the dog, one from a dog who lived in the same house and one from a strange dog. Two human scents were also used: one from a person that the dog was accustomed to (not the dog trainer) and an unfamiliar human scent, according to Psychology Today.
Two areas of the brain were looked at: the olfactory bulb, where scent is processed, and the caudate nucleus, which seems to be triggered by rewards like food and praise. The caudate nucleus is the "feel good center" of the brain, according to Psychology Today.
It turns out that dogs noses are not specially tuned to humans. They pretty much had the same reaction to the dog and human scents; however, part of the frontal cortex lit up when the familiar scents were presented - especially the dog scent - but this area of the brain is not tied to emotions. The activity was most likely from simple recognition, according to Psychology Today.
Since the caudate nucleus does deal with emotional responses, the researchers then looked there. They discovered that dogs not only recognize a familiar human, but caudate nucleus activity indicted that the dog had fondness for a person they associate with pleasant exchanges.
So, were dogs bred to love humans, were these dogs just raised in warm and caring homes or are dogs just people lovers? Researchers believe a dog feels affection for a specific person if that person raised the dog in an affectionate home, according to Psychology Today.
So give your pooch an extra pat. He knows you love him and he loves you back.
