They are cute, playful, fun and loving, aren’t they? Of course we are talking

about pets. To give you an idea, according to data from the Brazilian Institute

of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), there are currently more pets than

children in Brazilian households.

A study carried out at the Emory University, in the United States, suggested

that pets love their owners and see them as part of the family. Another study

from the institution used MRI scanning to monitor some dogs’ brains and

concluded that scents allow dogs to identify this reciprocity in brain activity.

The tests showed that dogs can distinguish scents and immediately recognize

their owners and other familiar pets by the smell. In other words, the familiar

scent of their owners activates the dogs’ brains, and the feeling of happiness

and reward are activated as well,” explains the veterinarian Luana Sartori.

It has been proven that the bond formed between a dog and its owner may be

very similar to the one shared between a baby and his or her parents. “This

explains why puppies jump up on the owner’s lap when they get scared or

when they are frightened,” adds the expert.

And did you know that every experience that a puppy’s had by the time it is six

months old will be extremely important for its development? A puppy’s brain is

so receptive that these actions influence everything that will be lived after.

Pets are really attached to their guardians, aren’t they? “That is why dog and

cat owners must interact with their pets, taking them for walks, playing with

them and having fun with them,” suggests Luana