New York, April 27 (IANS): And you thought you had a patent on 'love hormone' when it comes to showing affection! Dogs too have oxytocin and release it in a good quantity when in love or looking for bonding.
In fact, experts were shocked by the levels of oxytocin released in animals.
Referred to as a 'bonding' hormone, oxytocin plays an important role in the neuroanatomy of intimacy, specifically in sexual reproduction, in particular during and after childbirth.
In an experiment involving putting a pet dog and a goat together, Paul Zak, a professor at Claremont Graduate University in California, found that the dog had a 48 percent increase in oxytocin levels.
"The only time I have seen such a surge in oxytocin in humans is when someone sees their loved one, is romantically attracted to someone, or is shown an enormous kindness," Zak was quoted as saying.
"It seems that domesticated animals form bonds and feel love in the same way we do," he was quoted in a Daily Mail report.