Analogies in behavioral and emotional disorders between dogs and humans

Abstract

Human-dog interactions not only shape interspecies relationships in the social context, but also affect the emotional and psychological state of both man and animal. One consequence of living in a developed and urbanized environment is an increase in the occurrence of civilization diseases, which include psychological and emotional disorders occurring not only in humans, but also in animals. The aim of the study was to analyze selected behavioral problems of dogs in the context of their equivalents among human mental illnesses. Such similarities have been demonstrated in early-development disorders, affective disorders, personality disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorders. The development of knowledge about emotional disorders manifested by dogs may have significant importance in the prevention and treatment of human mental illnesses by providing information about their genesis, neurophysiological basis and heritability.