Evaluation of social exercise in human-dog cohabitation and verification of its effects on human health

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K22823
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 59:Sports sciences, physical education, health sciences, and related fields
• Research Institution: Azabu University
• Principal Investigator: Nagasawa Miho 麻布大学, 獣医学部, 講師 (70533082)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 野元 謙作 獨協医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (30786976)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-06-28 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: Social exercise / イヌ / 共生 / 同調 / コルチゾール / 内分泌 / 運動活性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study was to clarify the promotion of social exercise by cohabitation between dogs and humans and the accompanying physical and mental changes. Ex-shelter dogs and their new owners showed a tendency to synchronize their locomotor activity from around 3 months after the transfer of the dogs, and the dogs also showed a tendency to settle down and to clarify activity and rest from about the same time. On the other hand, cortisol levels tended to increase in humans. The increase in cortisol levels in humans can be interpreted as a result of an increase in the amount of activity associated with canine rearing. In the human psychological questionnaire survey, the items of social relationships increased significantly with the experience of rearing dogs.

Free Research Field

動物行動学、行動内分泌学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

ヒトとイヌが共同生活を始めてからおよそ３ヵ月程度で運動活性の同調がみられ、ヒトのQOLの上昇も認められた。イヌの飼育による効果は古くから言われてきたが、本研究のように共同生活を長期にわたって詳細に調査した例はない。イヌとヒトの互恵的関係がどのように構築されるか明らかにすることは、現代日本が抱える様々な問題解決の糸口になることが予想される。
また、ヒトとイヌは同調傾向にあるにも関わらず、両者のオキシトシン値は低下傾向を示した。短期的での関係構築とは異なり、長期的に関係を維持するうえでオキシトシンがどのような役割を果たすのかを考えるうえで、非常に興味深い知見が得られた。