Can people make their pets happy?

Researchers from Nestlé Purina Petcare are conducting some of the first studies of their kind into how external stimuli can generate joyful emotions in dogs. 

While scientific evidence demonstrates that owning a pet can help lower people's blood pressure, and reduce anxiety and depression, less is known about whether human contact has a similarly beneficial effect on animals' emotional wellbeing. 

Thermal imaging is just one of a number of non-invasive techniques Nestlé Purina researchers are using to better understand what makes a dog experience a positive change in mood. 

"Thermal imaging has been widely used in animal welfare studies, to assess inflammation in racehorses, for example, or to see how certain conditions affect livestock's stress levels," said Tagen T.S. McGowan, Nestlé Purina Petcare behaviour scientist. "This is one of the first times it's being used to measure positive responses in pets." 

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