Scientists from Azabu University in Japan have proven that dogs produce tears in positive emotions, such as when meeting their owner after a long separation.
The current issue of Biology reports that veterinarians first noticed tears in a dog’s eyes while caring for their puppies, and it became clear to them that it was due to the hormone oxytocin and positive emotions.
And vets conducted an experiment where they monitored what happens when dogs meet their owners. They found that the amount of tears in their eyes increased when they met someone they knew, and the amount of tears did not change when they met someone they did not know. After that, the researchers increased the level of the hormone oxytocin in the bodies of the participating dogs, which caused tears.
The researchers conducted a third experiment asking people to rate pictures of dogs with and without tears in their eyes. They realized that pictures with tears evoked more emotion then.
Researchers have concluded that tears help dogs bond more closely with humans.
Source: “Izvestia” newspaper.
Source: Arabic RT
