New research confirms something that may be unsurprising to the avid dog lover:  bonding with furry best friends is a two-way street.  How?  Eye contact.

Look into my eyes!

The study shows that returning Fido’s hopeful gaze is comparable to gazing into the eyes of a newborn, which releases the hormone oxytocin.  Known as one of the “happy hormones” oxytocin is associated with trust and bonding.

Until now, these hormone levels were primarily understood as occurring within the same species, like between mother and child.  This discovery reveals that  oxytocin is also increased with eye contact across the species line between human and canines.  By measuring hormone levels before and after interactions, the studies determined that people and their dogs show increased levels of the hormone after after “gazing” at each other.

The innovative work gives insight into canine-human bonding and affirms that dogs really are paying attention to communication.  Other projects at the Duke Canine Cognition Center involve exploring how canine trust can be established, which may have long term impact for improving human-canine relations.  In addition to improved training and rapport with canines, the implications for with shelter and service dogs applications are significant.  If you’ve ever wondered if your dog knows how you feel, take a moment to glance at your a canine friend.  Your answer is looking you right in the eyes.