But, how does having one affect us?

但養一隻小狗對我們有何影響？

(upbeat music)

(歡快的音樂)

My name is Meg Olmert and I'm the author of "Made For Each Other: The Biology of the Human-Animal Bond."

我叫梅格歐瑪，我是《天生一對：從生物學觀點看人類與動物的親密關係》 一書的作者。

Our journey with dogs began about 45,000 years ago, according to the latest archeological evidence.

根據最新的考古證據，我們與狗的關係大約始於 45,000 年前。

It preceded many hundreds of thousands of years with a more casual, and perhaps distant, pragmatic relationship with wolves as well.

早於數十萬年前我們與狼之間隨意、疏離、務實的關係。

But about 45,000 years ago we start to see the bones change and indications that A, dogs are certainly living with us and that living with us appears to have had certain effects on their biology and their physiology.

但大約 45,000 年前，我們開始發現其骨骼的變化，並有跡象顯示 ，狗肯定和我們生活在一起，而一起生活似乎對其生物性和生理機能產生了一定的影響。

That is what enabled them to become our best friends.

這就是為什麼他們會成為人類最好的朋友。

How does this relationship work?

這種關係如何運作？

There is a feedback system that both neurochemically, and psychologically, and behaviorally that sets up between you and your pet.

你和你的寵物之間會形成一種結合神經化學、心理和行為層面的反饋系統。

And how good you are to your pet is often exactly reflected back.

而你對寵物多好，你就會得到牠們相應的回報 。

Although, what I would say is they tend to be wildly generous.

雖然，我得說寵物更慷慨大方。

More generous than we are.

遠遠超過我們。

So, that is why, you know, they'll be wagging their tail, you know, thrilled to see you when you come home or if it's a cat, it's purring, and you may be very distracted but they aren't.

所以，這也是為什麼當你回到家裡，牠們會因為興奮而激動地搖著尾巴；若是貓的話，牠們會發出咕嚕聲。你面對牠們可能會心不在焉，但牠們對你不會。

You are the greatest thing they ever saw if you've developed this relationship.

一旦你和寵物發展出這種關係，你在牠們的心目中就是最棒的。

If you've earned it.

如果你值得的話。

You have a different relationship with your own pet versus your, even your neighbor's pet, because it's, that's your closer family.

你與你的寵物之間的關係和你與鄰居的寵物之間的關係大不相同，因為牠們是更親密的家人。

It's a different kind of bond and when they do FMRI studies, just like a mother will have certain brain regions light up very strongly in the dopamine and oxytocin-rich areas when they look at a picture of their baby versus just another infant.

這是一種特殊的關係，當進行 FMRI (功能性磁振造影) 研究時，會發現母親看到自己孩子的照片時，大腦中含有多巴胺和催產素的區域，比她們看別的孩子的照片時更為活躍。

When you look at a picture of your dog versus another dog, you see the same thing.

當你看你的狗和其他狗的照片時，你會有類似的反應。

If you love dogs you're gonna get this reward

如果你喜愛狗，你就會有類似的反應

to a degree whether you are looking at your dog or not.

無論是不是在看你自己的狗。

Do therapy dogs work?

治療犬真的有用嗎？

Well, they certainly can.

當然可以。

Dogs can do amazing things.

狗狗擁有驚人的影響力。

With our program, Warrior Canine Connection, we work with service members and veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.

透過「戰士犬結盟」計劃，我們與社工人員和擁有「創傷後壓力症候群」的退役軍人合作。

We have the patients who say, "This dog is better than any drug I ever took.

我們有病人說：「這隻狗勝過任何我用過的藥物。

I didn't sleep for five years until this dog slept next to me."

我失眠了五年，直到這隻狗開始陪我睡，我才睡得著。」

What happens to your body when you're with your dog?

當你和你的狗在一起時，你的身體會有什麼反應？

Your heart rate comes down, your blood pressure comes down, your heart rate variability, which is the ability of the heart to duck and dive and respond to stress improves.

你的心率和血壓下降，而心率變異度，即心臟因應劇烈運動及壓力的能力，提高了。

You release oxytocin, the opioids, adrenaline, and serotonin.

你的身體會釋放催產素，鴉片激素、腎上腺素和血清素。

So, all of these great reward chemicals and anti-stress chemicals can be released in both you and the pet.

所以，你和你的寵物體內都會釋放上述獎勵性和抗壓性化學物質。

What is oxytocin?

什麼是催產素？

Oxytocin is a very ancient chemical.

催產素是一種非常古老的化學物質。

It's in all social mammals.

它存在於所有群居的哺乳類動物中。

There's variations on it that you find in birds and in turtles, and in worms.

鳥類、海龜和蠕蟲體內的催產素有所不同。

And it most effectively is known for releasing breast milk and creating labor contractions.

它最大的功效是促進乳汁分泌和分娩時子宮收縮。

That's what it was first known for.

這就最初大家對它的認知。

So in a sense, it is the quintessential mammalian hormone since live birth and production of breast milk identifies us as mammals and mammary glands, etc.

從某種意義上說，它是典型的哺乳類動物荷爾蒙，而乳汁分泌和乳腺是識別哺乳動物的重要依據。

About 25 years ago, they discovered that besides the oxytocin receptors and cells in the body that are producing oxytocin in the breast and the uterus, long behold, it's produced throughout the brain and in all the areas that control behavior and emotion.

大約 25 年前，人們發現除了催產素受體和乳房和子宮中製造催產素的細胞之外，大腦和控制行為和情緒的區域也會產生催產素。

So what was it doing there?

那麼它的功用是什麼？

And what they discovered was that it was talking to other classic brain neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, and dopamine, and adrenaline, and the opioid system.

他們發現，它會與其他典型的大腦神經傳遞介質，如血清素、多巴胺、腎上腺素和鴉激素系統進行溝通。

And it was setting up, by doing that, this perfect mental physiologic state of calm.

這種運作方式打造了完美的生、心理平靜狀態。

It is the most powerful drive and it creates the bond that lasts a lifetime.

這是最強大的動力，造就我們和狗狗一生一世的情緣。

That's how strong it is.

它的威力就是這麼大。

(happy music)

(開心的音樂)