Dataset Information

Children's Relationship With Their Pet Dogs and OXTR Genotype Predict Child-Pet Interaction in an Experimental Setting.

ABSTRACT: Human-animal interaction (HAI) research has increasingly documented the important role of pet dogs in children's lives. The quality of interaction between children and their pet dogs, however, is likely influenced by individual differences among children as well as their perceived relationship with their pet dog. Ninety-seven children aged 7-12 years and their pet dogs participated in a laboratory protocol during which the child solicited interaction with their dog, from which time petting and gazing were recorded. Children reported on their perceived relationship with the pet dog via interview. Children provided saliva samples, from which a polymorphism in the oxytocin receptor, OXTR rs53576, which has long been implicated in social behavior, was genotyped. The results showed that OXTR genotype and children's perceived antagonism with the pet dog predicted the amount of petting, but not gazing, between children and their pet dogs. This research adds to the growing body of HAI research by documenting individual differences that may influence children's interactions with animals, which is key to research related to pet ownership and understanding factors that may impact therapeutic interventions involving HAI.

SUBMITTER: Kertes DA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6134068 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Children's Relationship With Their Pet Dogs and <i>OXTR</i> Genotype Predict Child-Pet Interaction in an Experimental Setting.

Kertes Darlene A DA Hall Nathan N Bhatt Samarth S SS

Frontiers in psychology 20180905

Human-animal interaction (HAI) research has increasingly documented the important role of pet dogs in children's lives. The quality of interaction between children and their pet dogs, however, is likely influenced by individual differences among children as well as their perceived relationship with their pet dog. Ninety-seven children aged 7-12 years and their pet dogs participated in a laboratory protocol during which the child solicited interaction with their dog, from which time petting and g ...[more]

PMID: 30233440

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Project description:Oxytocin is a key modulator of emotional processing and social cognitive function. In line with this, polymorphisms of genes involved in oxytocin signaling, like the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene, are known to influence social behavior in various species. However, to date, no study has investigated environmental factors possibly influencing the epigenetic variation of the OXTR gene and its behavioral effects in dogs. Pet dogs form individualized and strong relationships with their owners who are central figures in the social environment of their dogs and therefore might influence the methylation levels of their OXTR gene. Here we set out to investigate whether DNA methylation within the OXTR promoter region of pet dogs is linked to their owner's interaction style and to the social behavior of the dogs. To be able to do so, we collected buccal epithelial cells and, in Study 1, we used pyrosequencing techniques to look for differentially methylated CpG sites in the canine OXTR promoter region on a heterogeneous sample of dogs and wolves of different ages and keeping conditions. Four identified sites (at positions -727, -751, -1371, and -1383 from transcription start site) showing more than 10% methylation variation were then, in Study 2, measured in triplicate in 217 pet Border Collies previously tested for reactions to an adverse social situation (i.e., approach by a threatening human) and with available data on their owners' interaction styles. We found that CpG methylation was significantly associated with the behavior of the dogs, in particular with the likelihood that dogs would hide behind their owner or remain passive when approached by a threatening human. On the other hand, CpG methylation was not related to the owners' behavior but to dog sex (at position -1371). Our findings underpin the complex relationship between epigenetics and behavior and highlight the importance of including epigenetic methods in the analysis of dog behavioral development. Further research is needed to investigate which environmental factors influence the epigenetic variation of the OXTR gene.

Dataset Information

Children's Relationship With Their Pet Dogs and OXTR Genotype Predict Child-Pet Interaction in an Experimental Setting.

Publications

Children's Relationship With Their Pet Dogs and <i>OXTR</i> Genotype Predict Child-Pet Interaction in an Experimental Setting.

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Dataset Information

Children's Relationship With Their Pet Dogs and OXTR Genotype Predict Child-Pet Interaction in an Experimental Setting.

Publications

Children's Relationship With Their Pet Dogs and &lt;i&gt;OXTR&lt;/i&gt; Genotype Predict Child-Pet Interaction in an Experimental Setting.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets

Children's Relationship With Their Pet Dogs and <i>OXTR</i> Genotype Predict Child-Pet Interaction in an Experimental Setting.