6 THE NEW BARKER www.TheNewBarker.com Researchers are always trying to validate what people already know: dogs make us feel better. The debate continues on whether or not dogs should be considered a valid healthcare treatment. Humans interacting with their dogs experience increased levels of oxytocin - a love hormone.That much has already been proven by lab tests (as in the laboratory,not a Labrador - although, it’s a good bet a Lab was used in the lab to test for the love hormone). This hormone is a neurotrans- mitter associated with empathy, trust, sexual activity, and relationship-building. Oxytocin is produced in the hypothala- mus, a part of the brain. Women usually have higher levels than men. It lets us know when we should take comfort in others. It sometimes doubles in a parent when reunited with a young child. Dog owners experience an average oxytocin boost of 6.6 percent after petting their dogs. Dogs experience a 57 percent increase over baseline levels of oxytocin when playing with their humans. And interesting, but probably not surprising to cat lovers: when interacting with their humans, cats’ oxytocin levels only increase by about 12 percent.* There isn’t an overarching theory as to why dogs are such mood-boosters. Maybe it’s that they seem to show more emotional consistency than we humans, which can help us stabilize our own equilibrium. Dogs give us something else on which to focus besides ourselves. We don’t need any further validation that dogs bring out the best in us than the stories we cover in this issue of The New Barker. They are as diverse as the people we interviewed. Earlier this year, I experienced a tragedy while trying to help a runaway dog. And, while helping another dog, I became embroiled with some social media armchair advocates on how a situation should have been handled. In both instances, the same couple of people in rescue with whom I’ve come to love and trust, came through for me. But, it was clear a break from all the seriousness was needed, so I headed to Kissimmee for the Dog Agility Competition of Florida (DACOF) event. People from all over the state were there to have fun with their dogs, competing in the ring. It was loud and the high energy level was tonic for the soul. At one point during the day’s compe- tition, the dogs were placed in their crates or taken outside for a walk while their handlers gathered ringside. Each handler, after listening to the judges, was given a piece of paper, then allowed back into the rings. Looking at the slips of paper, the handlers walked around the agility equip- ment, in different directions. To the untrained eye, none of it made any sense. Some of the handlers were talking to themselves. From where I was standing, up in the bleachers, it looked like they were on a spiritual journey, each person in search of enlightenment, while walking the labyrinth. Which, in essence, I guess you could say that’s exactly what they were doing. In reality, they were walking the new course, just set up by the judges.The piece of paper was the course map. They were given a certain amount of time to walk the new course, study the map and figure out how they were going to get their dogs to run it. Now, anyone who has been in Agility for any length of time will admit to this.The dog already knows how to run the course. It’s their humans who need to keep up. And, that’s the essence of dogs, isn’t it? Keep pace with them - whether it’s running an agility course, or taking a nap. Oh, the places they’ll take us with the emotional consistency we are all in search of. Dogs just want us to be. *Part of a small-scale study conducted by a neuroscientist for a 2016 BBC2 documentary. U editorunleashed Anna Cooke with Chloe, Dougie, Rita and Ms. Zoe. Anna Cooke, Editor in Chief PHOTOGRAPH BY L AURA A LLEN S TUDIOS