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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (May 20, 2011)
OREGON S LGBTO NEWSMAGAZINE As I coasted into the parking lot at sunrise, a black SUV sat unmoving, its engine hum ming. The door opened and four canine feet hit the asphalt. In an instant, the door of the SUV slammed shut again and the vehicle sped away. A small reddish-brown dog left on the tarmac raced after the departing car, then stopped and stood, gazing into the distance where the vehicle disappeared. I hopped out of my car and knelt on the ground to summon the little dog to me. “Hey, hey, hey, hey,” I called, my voice high and cheer- fid. The pup turned and darted my way. She bounded across the vacant parking area, slowing as she neared me. She lowered her head, tenta tively wagged her tail then lifted her gaze to my face. Her wide brown eyes drew me into their open depths, melting me, and I felt a surge of protectiveness. “I gotcha, baby,” I crooned. Science tells me the rush of nurturing emo tion I felt at that moment was chemically me diated, a natural drug-induced state. Known as the “love hormone,” oxytocin is a neuropeptide released by our brains when we gaze at the face o f a baby, a trusted lover ... or into the eyes of a recently abandoned puppy. Oxytocin spurs mothers to recognize their infants and care for them. It’s involved in romantic interactions and may play a part in orgasms. But oxytocin is not just a female hormone, nor just a human one. All kinds of mammals, male and female, produce it and need lots o f it. I t’s connected to voices > MAY 20, 2011 Bonds of Biology sociated to interacting socially with a person. Her adorable gaze blasted me with charitable instincts to protect and nurture. There is speculation some people may pro duce more oxytocin than others and/or have BY MARY M A N D E V ILLE , DC extra receptors for the hormone. W hen these was responsible for the domestication of wolves folks see stray dogs, abused children or aban some tens of thousands of years ago. doned squirrels, they experience an over-the- A recent study showed that after half an hour top rush of mushy relationship-oriented senti of playing with a dog and as little as two min ment. Stray dogs find loving homes, neglected * utes of gazing at the dog’s face, oxytocin levels children get a leg up and squirrels are less had increased in the humans by 20 percent. likely to become fodder for predators. Other studies indicate that pet owners tend to And the human benefits? have double the levels of oxytocin and serotonin Preliminary research in autism is promising. (another neuropeptide associated with feelings Pharmaceutically applied oxytocin appears to of well-being) as non-pet owners. reduce repetitive behaviors and increase under Life is a recipe for fight-or-flight lately, standing and tolerance of emotional communi what with threats o f radiation exposure, an cation in autistic individuals. A nasal spray of economy hijacked by the wealthy few and nature’s love drug may also increase the socia traumatic weather events fueled by climate bility of persons with attachment disorders. change— to mention just a few of the top Frequent floods of oxytocin have been shown stressors. Understanding the biochemical reac to reduce blood pressure, cholesterol and trig tions involved in enjoying my canine compan lycerides, decrease anxiety, improve sleep, in ions adds to my cache o f reasons (some might crease longevity and enhance well-being. I think say excuses) to coddle and snuggle these mam more is probably better, and suggest everyone malian friends. It lends insight into why a furry get a pet. But don’t trust my opinion. one-pound squirrel might come seeking my I’m an addict. Jj»] company and why I didn’t ship her off to live on her own in the woods. Imprinted on a hu M ary M a n d e v il l f . is addicted to rushes o f oxy man face and voice and acclimated to a nice tocin. Luckily, she's an anim al chiropractor and spurt o f oxytocin from the interaction, even a gets freq u en t fixes fro m her clients as w ell as her rodent sought the calm, balanced state she as tw o dogs. petlandia our feelings of love, trust, nurturing and emo tional bonding. Increased levels o f this hor mone have been shown to decrease anxiety and increase feelings of calmness, contentment, se curity, even generosity. W hen oxytocin is pres ent, social connection and bonding are en hanced. Oxytocin mediates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, a fancy way of saying it decreases the fight-or-flight response, thus lowering the stress we feel. Those of us who live with dogs, cats, rabbits, horses— and even rodents—often wax poetic, or just downright sentimental, about the uncondi tional love we experience with our pets. Science would tell us this love is not so much uncondi tional as biochemical. W hen the pup in the parking lot gazed at my face, a chemical reac tion took place. Oxytocin spiked in her canine brain as a survival mechanism, stimulating her continued contact with an unknown but un threatening human. Returning her gaze, I was flooded with a dose of the bonding hormone that catalyzed an impulse to scoop her into my arms and take care of her (which, of course, is exactly what I did). 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