The Purest Bond
Understanding the Human–Canine Connection
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
This feel-good, comprehensive exploration of the profound bond between humans and dogs from Jen Golbeck, the “internet’s dog mom” behind the massive social media platform The Golden Ratio, and award-winning science writer Stacey Colino “will bring something magical and meaningful into your life” (Daniel J. Siegel, MD, New York Times bestselling author).
Dogs have been considered people’s best friend for thousands of years, but never has the relationship between humans and their canine companions been as vitally important as it is today.
With all of the seismic shifts in today’s world, rates of anxiety and depression have been skyrocketing, and people have been turning to their dogs for solace and stability. Amidst these dire realities, something wonderful has taken shape. In the United States alone, dog adoptions doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As people have brought furry friends into their lives for the first time or seized this opportunity to deepen the connections they already have, they are looking to understand how owning a dog can change their lives.
Weaving together groundbreaking research and touching real-life stories, The Purest Bond is an “informative and fun” (Publishers Weekly) exploration of not just the social benefits of owning a dog but the science of how dogs improve our emotional and physical health, mental acuity, and our ability to focus and absorb information. Most importantly, they remind us of what’s right in the world—love, trust, affection, playtime, fresh air, and sunshine—even when so much feels wrong.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
University of Maryland, College Park computer scientist Golbeck, who runs an Instagram account focused on golden retrievers she rescues, teams up with health writer Colino (coauthor of Emotional Inflammation) to deliver a fetching examination of the benefits of owning a dog. Human–dog bonds can produce physical effects, the authors contend, noting scientific studies that found petting dogs provides a surge of the pleasurable hormone oxytocin for the person and the dog, and that canines are so attuned to their owners' emotions that their stress levels ("as measured by cortisol levels in their hair/fur") fluctuate "in sync with their owners' stress levels." Dogs can also provide support to people with mental illness, as illustrated by a study that found people with depression, bipolar disorder, or schizoaffective disorder reported feeling less anxious after living with an emotional service dog for a year. The research adds scientific support to some common assumptions (one study confirmed that dogs can "process vocal intonations and pick up on the emotional valence of what's being said"), while pushing back on others, as when the authors warn dog owners against taking on a "dominant ‘alpha' role" because domesticated dogs have a more fluid social structure than wolves and get stressed when their humans assert dominance. Informative and fun, this is a treat.
