The entire experiment was videotaped and the following variables were noted the different types (stroking, scratching, patting and activating touch, i.e., scratching and patting combined) as well as the frequency of touch applied by the owner, the number of times the owner touched her dog, the dog’s positions and time spent in each position.

Ten female volunteer dog–owners and their male Labrador dogs participated in a 60 min interaction experiment with interaction taking place during 0–3 min and blood samples for analysis of oxytocin and cortisol were collected at 0, 1, 3, 5, 15, 30, and 60 min. The present study aimed to further investigate whether oxytocin and cortisol levels in the previously tested owners and dogs were associated with their behaviors during the interaction experiment. We have previously shown that dog–owner interaction results in increasing oxytocin levels in owners and dogs, decreasing cortisol levels in owners but increasing cortisol levels in dogs. 4School of Health and Education, University of Skövde, Skövde, Sweden.

3Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.

2Department of Animal Environment and Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skara, Sweden.

1Endocrine and Diabetes Unit, Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.

Maria Petersson 1 Kerstin Uvnäs-Moberg 2 Anne Nilsson 2 Lise-Lotte Gustafson 2 Eva Hydbring-Sandberg 3 Linda Handlin 4*

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