Robin Ganzert Presents Proof of Empathic Bond Between Pets and Pet Owners

WASHINGTON, DC, March 11, 2014

While those who have special animals in their lives already know how powerful their relationship with their pet can be, Robin Ganzert, president of the American Humane Association, says that now this bond can be proven scientifically. Specifically, a new study reported on by Fox News reveals that dogs have the power to empathize with their owners.

According to the researchers of the new study from Current Biology, dogs have been found to be sensitive to the emotional cues in the voices of humans. The suspected reason for this, according to those involved in the study, is thought to be the long-shared evolutionary history and social environment of both dogs and humans.

As the researchers explain, about 100 million years ago both dogs and humans as species shared common ancestors. This and the fact that dogs and humans have lived side-by-side for so long has led to the theory that the area of the brain in both humans and dogs that is responsible for sound and voice evolved at the same time under similar circumstances.

As one researcher stated in a press release, "Our findings suggest that they [dogs and humans] also use similar brain mechanisms to process social information. This may support the successfulness of vocal communication between the two species."

For dog owners themselves, Robin Ganzert points out that this means that many of them are right in their belief that their canine companion is able to tell when they are feeling happy or sad. In other words, she says, dogs are capable of reading and empathizing with the humans in their lives.

During the study, researchers trained 11 dogs to be able to sit still within a functional magnetic resonance imaging scanner, or fMRI scanner. They then used the scanner to analyze the dogs' brain activity alongside human brain activity while both species listened to 200 different human and dog sounds. These sounds ranged from laughing to crying to playful barking.

Unsurprisingly, both the humans and the dogs in the study responded with the strongest brain activity to the noises produced by members of their own species. However, both humans and dogs also processed sounds loaded with emotion in similar ways. For instance, when hearing happy sounds of either species, the primary auditory cortex of both dogs and humans alike showed greater activation.

Certain differences between the two species were also noted. For instance, according to researchers, the dogs' responses to non-vocal noises were much stronger compared to the same response in humans.

"With this study, we may come to a better understanding of just why it is that dogs and their owners can become so in tune with one another's feelings," says Robin Ganzert.

One researcher in the study, Attila Andics of Hungary's MTA-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, explains, "This method offers a totally new way of investigating neural processing in dogs. At last we begin to understand how our best friend is looking at us and navigating in our social environment."

While there is still much research to be done in the way of fully analyzing this empathic link between humans and canines, Robin Ganzert explains that it confirms what most dog owners already knew, which is that they and their dogs had a special understanding of one another.

ABOUT:

Since 2010, Robin Ganzert has served as the president and CEO of the animal welfare advocacy organization American Humane Association. Ever since she began serving in this position, she has proven instrumental in helping the AHA become more relevant and active as well as implementing many different types of beneficial initiatives. With her work, Dr. Ganzert pursues her commitment to protect the wellness, well-being, and welfare of animals and children everywhere in order to maximize the potential of the human-animal bond.