Why do we like stroking dogs?

[Esceptico]

I haven’t measured the amount of time I spend stroking my dog but suspect if you added up all the times I am stroking him during the day it could easily be half an hour or more. Sometimes it is me instigating it but often he will sit next to me and paw the sofa (or me if he can reach) to get attention for a stroke. He can be quite persistent. So it seems he gets something out of the stroking too. Although we do it every day neither side seems to get bored.

Stroking isn’t confined to dogs. Like my daughter I seem to have an urge to stroke animals.

I’ve read that stroking dogs releases endorphins in both the human and the dog. I wonder whether we have co-evolved this response to reinforce the mutually beneficial bond between humans and their domesticated animals. Looked at in isolation it does seem a little odd. Are there examples of other, similar cross species behaviour? I can think of symbiotic behaviour - I can’t recall the name but think there is a bird that eats ticks off of rhinoceros and I think a fish that cleans food residue from sharks but that is a more direct mutually beneficial arrangement.

[BoggoStump]

And cats too.

[Monkeylegend]

I like stroking my python.

[Lotobear]

There is something very relaxing and connective about stroking a dog and they also clearly enjoy it.

....I recall Ollie Reid once saying one of his biggest regrets in life was not kissing the wet noses of more dogs!

[Tango13]

My mum had a rescue Staff that had a growl for every occasion, not nasty or aggressive just growled a certain way when she wanted something.

It was quite surreal having a dog grumble and growl when you stopped stroking her

Her favourite one of all was having her ears rubbed between thumb and forefinger, if you stopped doing that she would fidget, grumble, growl and generally be a pita until you started again!