Post written by: Anne Rider<\/strong><\/i><\/p>\n

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Decades of research have shown some pretty enlightening facts about dogs; an infant growing up with dogs, for instance,\u00a0has a lower likelihood of developing asthma later in life<\/span><\/a>, and dogs are currently a popular presence at many drug rehabilitation and Alzheimer\u2019s centers, owing to their proven ability to lower stress and aid in therapy.<\/p>\n

For countless human beings, including those suffering from anxiety and those facing Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), dogs provide a way to communicate and create a non-judgmental attitude during therapy. They\u00a0help people manage their emotions by teaching them important values like compassion<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and self-compassion, which are crucial pillars of psychological wellbeing. Many interesting additional findings were made about \u2018man\u2019s best friend\u2019 in the past year; these are some of the most interesting:<\/p>\n

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1. Dogs can sense emotion in our voices<\/span><\/h2>\n

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The first study to compare human an non-primate brain function has shown that just like humans, dogs have dedicated voice areas in their brains, which are sensitive to acoustic signals of emotion. The findings suggest that these voice areas evolved at least 100 million years ago, the estimated age of the last ancestor shared by dogs and man. Research says this goes a long way towards explaining the unique and long-lasting bond between these species. <\/span><\/p>\n

In the study, researchers trained 11 dogs to lay motionless while an fMRI brain scanner was carried out. The researchers conducted experiments on the dogs and on human volunteers alike, finding that we have voice areas in similar areas, and that there is a striking similarity in the way we process sounds filled with emotion. In both species, for instance, an area close to the primary auditory cortex lit up more when the dogs and the humans heard happy rather than sad sounds. The researchers said they were most surprised by the similar emotional response to the types of voice. <\/span><\/p>\n

It now becomes easier to understand why our dogs can be so in tune to how we are feeling, and why they seem to give us affection, attention and sympathy when we most need it.<\/span><\/p>\n

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2. Dogs can be pessimistic<\/span><\/h2>\n

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If you think all dogs are happy-go-lucky and brimming over with energy, think again! New research has shown that dogs can be optimistic or pessimistic.\u00a0Those that are optimistic expect rewards<\/span><\/a>, will get up and try again if things don\u2019t go their way, and take risks. Those that are pessimistic are averse to taking risks and tend to give up when they have setbacks; they almost sound human!<\/span><\/p>\n

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3. Owning a dog benefits families with autism<\/span><\/h2>\n

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Research has shown that parents who have a child with autism and who own a dog, report improved companionship, lesser stress and more opportunities for their children to learn, than non-dog owners. Children with autism can often find it difficult to build friendships, which is why the unconditional nature of a dog\u2019s love can be so beneficial. Dogs can also act as a kind of bridge, since other children may wish to pet or play with the dog, thus providing a subject of conversation with the child with autism. Dogs may not be ideal for all children with autism, though. Children should take part in deciding what type of pet they feel most comfortable with; for instance, children who are sensitivity to loud noises would do better with a dog that didn\u2019t bark, or another animal such as a rabbit, cat, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n

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4. Electronic training collars risk the welfare of dogs<\/b><\/h2>\n

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The proliferation of electric training collars have led many pet owners to believe that these are a safe, effective way of getting Fido to behave. A study carried out by the University of Lincoln in the UK, however, shows that\u00a0the immediate effect of using this type of collar is distress<\/span><\/a>\u00a0for dogs, particularly when programmed to high settings. The study looked at 63 dogs who were referred for poor recall skills and similar issues. The dogs were placed into three groups: one used an e-collar and the other two didn\u2019t. The dogs who were trained using the e-collar showed negative responses, including greater tension, more yawning and less time spent on environmental interaction, than dogs in the control group.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Post written by: Anne Rider Decades of research have shown some pretty enlightening facts about dogs; an infant growing up with dogs, for instance,\u00a0has a lower likelihood of developing asthma later in life, and dogs are currently a popular presence at many drug rehabilitation and Alzheimer\u2019s centers, owing to their proven ability to lower stress and aid in therapy. For countless human beings, including those suffering from anxiety and those facing Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), dogs provide a way to communicate and create a non-judgmental attitude during therapy. They\u00a0help people manage their emotions by teaching them important values like compassion\u00a0and <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28057,"featured_media":10286,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4046],"tags":[430,429,4060],"yoast_head":"\n