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Dogs Shed Actual Tears of Joy When Reunited with Their Owners, Study Finds

After tying dogs’ tears to the production of oxytocin, the author of the study, Takefumi Kikusui, stated, “Dogs have become a partner of humans, and we can form bonds.”

Once again, dogs have shown to be man’s best friend.

A recent study published in Current Biology demonstrates that dogs’ eyes well up with tears when they are reunited with their owners after long separations, potentially associating their tears with feelings for the first time.

“We discovered that dogs shed tears in response to good feelings,” the study’s author Takefumi Kikusui said in a statement, adding that the tears may be caused by oxytocin release.

Kikusui, a professor at the Laboratory of Human-Animal Interaction and Reciprocity at Azabu University in Japan, made the finding six years ago when one of his poodles gave birth and began crying while nursing. This led me to believe that oxytocin may boost tear production.

During encounters, oxytocin, popularly known as the “love hormone,” has been detected in both dogs and their human owners. According to recent research, the release of oxytocin strengthens the link between humans and dogs.

“Dogs have become man’s companion, and we may build ties with them,” stated Kikusui. “In this process, it is feasible that owners may care for their dogs more if they have teary eyes during interactions with them.”

According to a 2020 Canine Cottages study, experts discovered that dogs’ heart rates increase by 46 percent when their owner says “I love you,” while cuddling decreases their bpm by 23 percent. The heart rates of their owners jumped by 10 percent when they were reunited with their dogs after a long separation.

According to an April study, researchers discovered that the phenomena known as “puppy dog eyes” was likely the result of thousands of years of selective breeding to give canines more human-like faces.