Neural signature of human–dog interactions: EEG correlates from comparisons with plant and replica dog in a within-subject, cross-over randomized trial

These findings provide novel electrophysiological evidence that interacting with a real dog elicits unique oscillatory patterns distinct from those observed with non-sentient-living or non-living-controls. The results highlight the social and emotional salience of animals and advance understanding of the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying human-animal interactions, with implications for applied contexts such as animal-assisted treatments.