Are People Instinctively Drawn to Dogs?

Those of us who work with service dogs and puppies in training get special insight to just how much people love dogs. Strangers often stop us on the street, eager for a quick pet or to share a story about the dogs in their own lives. It made me wonder: are humans hard-wired to be drawn to dogs? Is there something in our DNA that explains why we invite them into our homes, our families, and our hearts?

Biological and Evolutionary Factors

1. Co-evolution

Dogs were the first animal humans domesticated, and our species have been together more than 30,000 years.  That’s plenty of time for each species to influence the other’s evolution.

One interesting study (often cited) is Oxytocin-gaze Positive Loop and the Coevolution of Human-dog Bonds by Nagasawa et al. (2015). In that work, dog-owners were observed interacting with their dogs (gazing, talking, touching) and both the humans’ and dogs’ oxytocin (a hormone related to mother-child bonding) levels rose. The strength of the rise was tied to how much the dog gazed at its owner. The idea is that dogs evolved traits (including the ability to make eye contact and stick close to humans) that trigger bonding mechanisms in us.

One thing that makes the co-evolution hypothesis powerful is that wolves—even hand-raised ones—don’t show the same pattern of gaze + oxytocin when interacting with humans. That suggests it isn’t just familiarity or training, but something deeper genetically selected during domestication.

2. Genetic Basis

If we really did co-evolve, we should expect genetic factors, in both dogs and humans, that influence how we bond with one another.

For example, research on the human OXTR gene (the oxytocin receptor gene) supports this idea. A study with children (ages 7-12) and their pet dogs found that variation in that gene predicted how much time the child spent petting the dog. Specifically, children with certain variants (“A-carriers” of a particular OXTR polymorphism) pet their dogs more, controlling for other factors.

This suggests that the way humans respond to dogs can be shaped by our individual differences in genes that affect social bonding. It doesn’t mean everyone’s response is identical — but genes seem to provide a foundation that, together with experience, culture, and upbringing, build the love or draw.

3. Brain Response

What about our brains? What happens there when we see a dog, or when a dog looks into our eyes, or when we pet one?

• In the Nagasawa et al. study, mutual gaze (dog looking at owner, owner looking back) was a strong trigger of increased oxytocin in both participants. That is, our brains “read” that gaze as social, a connection — like what happens in parent-infant bonding.
• One functional MRI study of human mothers revealed that nearly the same areas of their brains became active when they looked at pictures of their pet dogs or when they looked at pictures of their children.

4. Pheromones

Dogs are experts at interpreting human emotions from our facial expressions, but an Italian study revealed their sense of smell may play a roll.  Dog owners were asked to watch both scary and happy films, and sweat samples were collected during each screening.  Later the dogs were placed in a room with their owners and a stranger.  Dogs responded to the fear sweat sample with elevated heart rates.  They ignored the stranger and sought comfort from their owners.  The dogs were more relaxed after exposure to the happy sample and were less wary of the stranger.

Human mothers commonly talk about the attractive scent their babies give off, and it draws them closer to their newborns. Young puppies also give off a characteristic smell that people describe as being similar to popcorn or corn chips.  In puppies that distinctive smell is caused by a mix of sweat from the bottoms of their feet and bacteria or yeast, but many people are attracted to it.  It is also thought that puppies emit pheromones that stimulate a maternal-child bond.

Behavioral Evidence

Now let’s shift gears and look at human behavior where there is evidence supporting the idea we’re naturally drawn to dogs, even from very early in life.

1. Toddler / Infant Preference

Even at a very young age, humans seem to be drawn to animals, often more than inanimate objects.

• One set of studies (e.g., How Very Young Children Think About Animals) found that infants (4-12 months old) looked longer and showed more emotional responses to animals (moving or alive) than to inanimate objects.
• Other studies showed children (age 3-6 years) preferred animals with “baby faces” (those with big eyes, round faces, and high foreheads) over less “cute” ones.  As dogs evolved from wolves, they developed rounder faces and bigger eyes.  They became cute, and we became more attracted to them.
• Babies don’t always prefer humans over animals: some research shows infants don’t spontaneously prefer human faces over animal faces under certain conditions; sometimes animals catch their attention more. This suggests animals have intrinsic pull, not just because of what we teach children. 

Our pull towards dogs (and other animals) is present early in life, even before we can speak more than a few words.

2. Cultural Influence

Cultural norms also influence our attitudes towards dogs. They are portrayed in religion, myths, tales, and legends around the world.  In religion, dogs are sometimes representations of loyalty and protection.  However, there are religions where dogs are depicted as unclean. Thus, the prevalence of dogs as pets varies around the world.

Here in the United States, over 45% of households keep at least one dog as a pet.  Dogs are depicted as main characters in movies, and several brands like Target, Subaru, Taco Bell, and Raising Cane’s have used dogs in their marketing.  Americans, in general, have favorable view of dogs, and nearly all pet owners view their dog (or cat) as a part of their family.  Most of the encounters Koogle and I have with strangers confirm Americans’ attraction to dogs.

3. Dogs In Our Homes

Perhaps the most compelling evidence that humans are naturally drawn to dogs is the fact that so many of us live with them despite the cost, effort, and mess. (Koogle is a big shedder!)  Sixty-five million households in the US have at least one dog, and Forbes estimates the average essential cost of dog ownership is $1,533 per year.  Would we go through all this trouble and expense if we weren’t drawn to dogs?

Conclusion

Dogs and humans have stayed together for a long time.  Science is helping us understand this enduring bond.  Our shared history, our genes, and even our brain chemistry all point to all reveal a deep connection that started long before we began calling dogs “pets”.  Cultural influence reinforces that bond, and our everyday choices (like welcoming dogs into our homes despite the cost and effort) show the draw is still strong.

As a member of a service dog team, I see how much humans are drawn to dogs.  People go out of their way to meet Koogle, stopping for a pet and to share a story about a dog in their life.  We humans are hard wired to be attracted to and to keep dogs, and dogs are hard wired to make us part of their pack.

Your Turn!

Please share your own stories of how strangers have been drawn to your dog or about a dog you couldn’t resist.  What is it for you that made the pull so strong?  Please write a few words in the comments to leave a real-life example.