Oxytocin-gaze positive loop and the coevolution of human-dog bonds

TLDR

Gaze-mediated bonding, driven by oxytocin, occurs between humans and also between humans and dogs. Mutual gazing elevates oxytocin in both dogs and owners, whereas wolves, which rarely engage in eye contact, show little response. The study is reported by Nagasawa et al.

Abstract

Gaze into my eyes Humans bond emotionally as we gaze into each other's eyes—a process mediated by the hormone oxytocin. Nagasawa et al. show that such gaze-mediated bonding also exists between us and our closest animal companions, dogs (see the Perspective by MacLean and Hare). They found that mutual gazing increased oxytocin levels, and sniffing oxytocin increased gazing in dogs, an effect that transferred to their owners. Wolves, who rarely engage in eye contact with their human handlers, seem resistant to this effect. Science , this issue p. 333 ; see also p. 280