http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/bond-between-man-and-dog-is-closer-than-you-thought--how-canines-hearts-are-in-sync-with-ours/news-story/0da1b9ff9d17f25d3114a3fb89fecbfeBond between man and dog is closer than you thought — how canines hearts are in sync with ours Sue Dunlevy News Corp Australia Network
'THE bond between man and dog is so close their hearts actually beat in sync when they are together an astounding new study shows.
The heart rates of owners and their dogs become lower when they are in close proximity an experiment that saw heart monitors strapped to dogs and their owners found.
The discovery shows dogs have a fundamental role to play in lowering stress says sports scientist Dr Craig Duncan.
And canine scientist Mia Cobb says owning a dog can do more than just lower your heart rate.
They even recover more quickly from a heart attack, she says.
Dr Duncan and canine scientist and PHD student Mia Cobb separated three dogs from their owners and placed heat monitors on both the humans and the dogs and monitored what happened when they were reunited. The owner sat on a lounge and when the dog entered the room and jumped on the couch to greet their owner the heart rates of both the dogs and the humans lowered.
“I wasn’t expecting how much they were synched up and it surprised and impressed me,” says Ms Cobb.
While dogs and humans biologically exhibit different heart rates the study showed their heart rates dipped and became elevated at the same rate while they were together.
The heart rate of the humans dropped by around 20 points and the dogs by around 40 points when the were united.
The Monash University PHD student says when humans pat a dog it releases oxytocin, a chemical that relieves stress.'
No wonder in times of stress we reach for our furry friends.
