Support for the 'Pets as Ambassadors' hypothesis in men: Higher animal empathy in Australian pet-owners vs non-owners and farmers.

Human empathy towards non-human animals (Animal Empathy; AE) has shown a strong gender bias, with women demonstrating higher levels than men. This study aimed to investigate the influence of animal experiences on AE in a male-only sample. It was hypothesised that there would be different levels of AE between men with experiences caring for pets, men with experience in animal agriculture, and men with limited animal experiences.

Sniffing out what Australians know and believe about Drug Detector Dogs.

The ways in which drugs are policed, differs from country to country, with Drug Detector Dogs (DDDs) a commonly used detection strategy in Australia. However, their effectiveness has been scrutinized by Australian media and research. Despite this, their work and lives "on the job" continue to be portrayed in a positive light on popular television shows such as Border Security.

Web-based treatment for depression in pregnancy: a feasibility study of Mum2BMoodBooster.

Background: Depression in pregnancy is prevalent, under-treated, and has serious impacts on the wellbeing of women and on child development. Internet programs can reach women who may not access traditional treatments due to distance, stigma or concern about taking medication. We adapted our online postnatal depression program, MumMoodBooster, for antenatal use.

Neurohormonal Profiles of Assistance Dogs Compared to Pet Dogs: What Is the Impact of Different Lifestyles?

Assistance dogs must manage stress efficiently because they are involved in challenging tasks. Their welfare is currently a fundamental issue. This preliminary study aimed to compare assistance dogs (AD; n = 22) with pet dogs (PD; n = 24), using blood neuromodulator indicators to help find biomarkers that can improve the AD breeding, selection, training, and welfare monitoring.

Dog Tales: Mindful Dog Interactions Evoke Similar Experiences to Dog Assisted Mindfulness Meditations.

Stay-at-home regulations in response to COVID-19 have put humans at increased risk of loneliness. Some studies support dog ownership as a protection against loneliness, while other studies have suggested the lockdowns can be used to reflect upon the similar restrictions owners impose on their pets on a daily basis. This study evaluated two novel ways to enrich the lives of pet dogs in the home, while also providing benefits to owners.

Public Perceptions of Australian Assistance Dogs: Happier and Better Used Than Companion Dogs.

Previous studies have revealed cultural differences in perceptions of assistance dogs, but this has not been investigated in almost 20 years. This study aimed to develop an understanding of the Australian public's perceptions toward both assistance and companion dogs. A questionnaire was completed by 258 Australians asking about their interest in, attitudes towards, and perceived happiness of the two types of dogs.

Better to Have Loved and Lost? Human Avoidant Attachment Style Towards Dogs Predicts Group Membership as 'Forever Owner' or 'Foster Carer'.

Important physiological, performance, and relationship differences have been reported between companion and working dogs. This study aimed to investigate how human attachment styles manifest towards dogs, depending on the dog's role. Seeing Eye Dog (SED) carer ( = 25) and Companion Dog Owner (CDO) ( = 78) avoidant and anxious attachment scores towards the dog in their care were compared.

Puppy love in the time of Corona: Dog ownership protects against loneliness for those living alone during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in many countries enforcing a 'lockdown', whereby people are instructed to stay at home.

Aim: The aim of this study was to capture the experience of such a lockdown in Australians living alone, with and without a dog or a cat.

Method: Three hundred and eighty-four participants completed an online survey evaluating their levels of loneliness, mindfulness and mood.

Working Smarter Not Harder: Oxytocin Increases Domestic Dogs' () Accuracy, but Not Attempts, on an Object Choice Task.

The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) has been shown to enhance dogs' ability to perform an object choice task (OCT) involving the use of human pointing cues, when delivered intranasally. This study aimed at further investigating whether OT enhances task performance by increasing choices made, or by increasing correctness of choices made, and to compare these treatment effects to dog appeasing pheromone (DAP), known to balance emotional activation in dogs. Hence, we compared OCT performance between three groups of dogs: (i) dogs administered OT and a sham collar, (ii) dogs administered a saline placebo and a DAP collar, and (iii) control dogs administered a saline placebo and a sham collar.

Evidence for sex differences in the loudness dependence of the auditory evoked potential in humans.

Objective: The loudness dependence of the auditory evoked potential (LDAEP) has been suggested as a marker of the serotonin system, although studies directly examining the relationship between acute changes in serotonin and the LDAEP have been inconsistent. Given the reported sex dichotomy in serotonin neurotransmission, this study examined if there are sex differences in the LDAEP.

Methods: Data from 65 healthy participants from four independent studies were pooled, and their N1/P2 slopes were quantified.

The loudness dependence auditory evoked potential is insensitive to acute changes in serotonergic and noradrenergic neurotransmission.

Background: The loudness dependence of the auditory evoked potential (LDAEP) has been proposed as an electrophysiological marker for assessing serotonergic function in vivo in humans, although accumulating evidence suggests that it is insensitive to acute changes in serotonergic neurotransmission. Very little is known about the sensitivity of the LDAEP to other neurotransmitter systems including the noradrenergic system. The current study examined the effects of noradrenergic modulation as well as serotonergic modulation on the LDAEP.