Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of I Heart Radio, Hey brain Stuff Lauren Bogle bam here. If you are enjoying some quality time with a dog or a cat, odds are that the option to rub their belly will at some point present itself, and the results may be pleasant or unpleasant for both parties. But have you ever wondered about the psychological, physical, and even neurological underpinnings of this interaction. A belly rob can be good for your
dog on many levels. Not only does it feel great, but it mimics important socialization between dogs, which are high touch creatures. When dogs play, they are definitely paused on and this means that they crave frequent physical interaction from the people who make up their pack. And aside from the behavioral boost a belly rob can offer, there is
neurological component to a belly rob session too. Dogs have specific neurons in the brain that light up when their hair loocles are stimulated, and that provides a satisfying sensation during belly raps. Plus, giving that good boy a belly rub is so psychologically soothing that it can manifest physical benefits for the dog. Petting a dog goes tummy can
lower his heart rate and blood pressure. This pet effect also shows up in people who may experience a reduction in blood pressure while petting a dog, and this affection connection with your pet acts as a feel good drug. When you and your furry beloved stare into each other's eyes during a belly rub, you'll both experience a hefty spike in oxytossin the same hormone that creates a love chemical feedback loop between mothers and their babies. So how do you know whether a dog wants a belly rub?
The dogs often make it really easy to tell, but that doesn't mean you should just dive into a vigorous tummy rub with great abandon. Check the dog's posture. Is it relaxed, tongue lolling out, excepting of head pats or ear rubs. Start with the head and you'll discover that relaxed dogs will melt to the floor and roll over
to give you better access to their bellies. If a dog is anxious, which can manifest as a rapid and submissive flip to expose the belly, and then it's not a good idea to give them a pet because this can reinforce the nervous feelings they're experiencing. And of course, while most breeds love a little bit of a massage on the tummy, there will be dogs of any breed who just aren't comfortable with that kind of vulnerability and exposure will let the dog lead the way, And this
brings us to cats. Dog behavior can be a bit easier to decode than cat behavior, partially because, as some research shows, cats are only partially domesticated. Our relationships with our cats are often less of an owner pet thing and more of a mutually agreed partnership, and it's important
to remember that they're not dogs. In the wild. Cats do express affection through touch with other cats, for example, when they haven't seen each other in a while, a behavior that you can observe if your wines around your legs when you get home. But touch among cats is perhaps less important for socialization than among dogs. Plus, the sensitive hair follicles on the feline's stomach are easy to overstimulate.
This may explain why cats sometimes appear to want a belly rub by exposing their belly, but then suddenly bite or rabbit kick their back legs to stop the rub. Cats are big predators in little bodies. If they roll over and show your their belly, they're not generally showing submission or the desire to have you touch their belly. It's actually a defensive position that gives them the ability to use all of their claws and teeth to protect
themselves from predators. If you touch this delicate spot, even if they're feeling relaxed, it can trigger defensive moves. That said, there are some cats who absolutely adorebelly rubs. It tends to depend on how the cat has been socialized with people,
especially when it was young. You can encourage touch positive behave if you're in a cat by working with it daily, letting it come to you and direct you where it's okay to be touched, and letting it walk away if it wants, but rewarding friendly behavior with gentle pets, scritches and treats. Today's episode was written by Loarie all Dove and produced by Tyler Clang. For more on this and lots of other heck and good topics, visit how stuffworks
dot com. Brain Stuff is production of iHeart Radio. For more podcasts to my heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.