Article Impact Level: HIGH Data Quality: STRONG Summary of Scientific Reports, 14(1), 25201. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-76831-x Dr. Aija Koskela et al.
Points
- This study explored the synchronization of emotional and physiological responses between dogs and their owners, focusing on heart rate variability (HRV) and activity levels.
- Results showed a strong HRV correlation between dogs and owners during rest, with closer activity synchronization during interactive tasks like stroking and playing.
- Dog HRV was predictive of owner HRV, with factors like the dog’s height, ownership duration, and owner’s negative affectivity influencing dog HRV.
- Dogs with higher emotional closeness to their owners had higher HRV during the interaction, suggesting a calming effect from the owner.
- The study highlights that breed, relationship quality, and owner temperament significantly impact the physiological and emotional bond, with cooperative breeds showing more excellent responsiveness.
Summary
This study investigated the emotional and physiological synchronization, or co-modulation, between dogs and their owners, focusing on heart rate variability (HRV) and physical activity. The research involved 29 dogs from cooperative breeds and their owners, measuring HRV and activity levels during resting baselines and four positive interaction tasks (stroking, training, sniffing, and playing). The study aimed to identify whether these variables were co-modulated during interactions and to examine how factors such as breed, owner temperament, and the dog-owner relationship affected this synchronization. Task-specific analyses revealed that while the HRV of dogs and owners correlated during baseline periods, activity levels were more closely linked during specific interaction tasks like stroking and playing.
The results indicated that non-moment-to-moment HRV co-modulation occurred during free behavior, with a strong correlation between the HRV of dogs and their owners. Additionally, dog HRV was found to be predictive of owner HRV. Factors such as the dog’s height, ownership duration, and the owner’s negative affectivity were identified as predictors of dog HRV. Interestingly, increasing dog-owner interaction was associated with changes in HRV, with dogs from cooperative breeds showing more excellent physiological responsiveness to their owners’ behavior. The study also revealed that dogs with higher emotional closeness to their owners exhibited higher HRV during the interaction, suggesting a potential calming effect of the owner on the dog.
In conclusion, the study demonstrates that the physiology and behavior of dogs from cooperative breeds and their owners are co-modulated, particularly during positive social interactions. The findings suggest that breed, relationship quality, and owner temperament play significant roles in shaping this emotional and physiological connection. This co-modulation resembles attachment behaviors observed in human relationships. It offers new insights into the bond between dogs and their owners and highlights the potential for using HRV to measure this bond.
Link to the article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-76831-x
References Koskela, A., Törnqvist, H., Somppi, S., Tiira, K., Kykyri, V.-L., Hänninen, L., Kujala, J., Nagasawa, M., Kikusui, T., & Kujala, M. V. (2024). Behavioral and emotional co-modulation during dog–owner interaction measured by heart rate variability and activity. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 25201. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-76831-x
