"'Just throwing a ball isn't enough,' explained Lina Roth, senior associate professor at Linköping University. 'As we were after the social interaction between dog and human, the games we proposed in the study were for example tug-of-war, rough and tumble, chasing each other, hide-and-seek, peekaboo or teasing the dog a little with your fingers.'"
"Analysis revealed owners reported a significantly stronger bond with their pet when they played with them more. The other two groups, however, showed no improvement."
"The study, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, is unable to capture exactly how the dogs felt, the researchers cautioned. But owners in the 'play' group reported that their dogs seemed to like them more following the intervention."
"Previous studies have also shown that dogs feel better when they get to play and spend time with their owners."
Research from Linköping University indicates that interactive games like tug-of-war and hide-and-seek foster stronger bonds between dogs and their owners compared to traditional fetch. A study involving nearly 3,000 dog owners showed that those who engaged in more interactive play reported a significantly improved relationship with their pets. The findings suggest that social interaction during play is crucial for enhancing the emotional connection, as opposed to merely retrieving objects.
Read at Mail Online
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