Dogs win our hearts by staring soulfully into our eyes. Researchers have discovered that when dogs have prolonged eye-to-eye contact with their owners, it causes a rush – in both man, and his best friend – of oxytocin, the “love hormone” believed to promote maternal-infant bonding. For the study, reported in the journal Science, animal researchers from Japan’s Azabu University gathered a group of dog owners and their pets, and a separate group who had hand-reared wolves. They took urine samples to determine oxytocin levels in all participants, then asked the owners to interact with their animals for up to 30 minutes. A second set of urine tests revealed that the owners who gazed at their dogs for several minutes had significantly raised levels of oxytocin, as did the dogs. However, the wolves’ oxytocin levels remained stable, regardless of how long they stared at their owners. (The Week)

As you know, there is a difference between staring (rude) and gazing with a soulful, admiring smile. Women will profess to think that both are forward and intrusive. Actually, they are secretly flattered by the soulful look. I think. Anyway, it’s worth a try.

So that’s my tip-of-the-day. Please try it and report back about success or otherwise. Address your observations to the Oxytocin Effectiveness Study in Human Beings at this blog address.