Spending quality time with dogs reduces stress and anxiety in human beings.
Dogs relieve feelings of stress and anxiety
Boffins have discovered that spending time with pooches generates electrical activity in the area of the brain associated with relaxation, concentration and attention.
A team from Konkuk University in South Korea asked 30 adults to perform eight different activities with a well-trained poodle and the analysis revealed the strength of alpha brainwaves increased when participants played with and walked the canine, reflecting a state of relaxation.
The study authors wrote in the journal Plos One: "This study demonstrated that specific dog activities could activate stronger relaxation, emotional stability, attention, concentration and creativity by facilitating increased brain activity."
Reacting to the findings, Dr. Jacqueline Boyd - a senior lecturer in animal science at Nottingham Trent University - said that the results are "unlikely to be a surprise to canine caregivers".
She said: "To have quantitative measurement of brain activity in people during direct interactions of different types of dogs, further adds to our understanding of the human-dog relationship."