Question:
Maya is my first dog. I adopted her from our local shelter. She is 2 years old and the perfect companion. She seems to know what I feel, and I wonder if she is psychic.
S.M., St. Paul, MN May 22, 2005
Answer:
Dogs are highly empathic animals, and can tune in to our emotions and read body language that reveals our feelings, as well as to our tone of voice. They aren't "psychic," but possess a highly developed social cognition that most likely blossomed over the thousands of years that they have "co-evolved" with us.Dogs and other animals are profoundly affected by how they are treated -- tender loving human attention produces pleasurable and stress-reducing neurochemicals. Similar beneficial neurochemicals are stimulated in our brains when we express affection and play with our animal companions. These substances (like oxytocin, prolactin and endorphin) have both bonding and healing functions, and underlie the physiology of love and the benefits of animal companionship.
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