Watching the Puppy Bowl is Good for Your Health

Watching puppies on Sunday may help improve your mood according to science

Posted Feb 04, 2017

Pixaby/CC0 Public Domain
Source: Pixaby/CC0 Public Domain

The current political climate has generally increased the stress levels of the modern day American. Many people seek healthy distraction to lighten their mood, laugh, and have a respite from the day-to-day drama.

A brief YouTube search for “puppies” and you’ll get about 6,570,000 results within an instant. You’ll see videos about funny puppies and cute puppies and even puppies and babies playing together as some of the top hits, bringing in between six and twenty-three million views within a single video.


The Puppy Bowl’s Popularity

The Puppy Bowl first aired February 6, 2005, and has grown in popularity ever since. This Sunday, on February 5th, 2017 Puppy Bowl will be back featuring rescue pups from across the nation. The puppies able to play are limited according to age and size, in order to enhance safety on the puppies behalf. The producers also make sure that a Veterinarian is on site, as well as an American Humane Association representative for safety.

Pixaby/CC0 Public Domain
Source: Pixaby/CC0 Public Domain

The 2016 showing of the Puppy Bowl reached 2.2 million viewers. Animal Planet, the show’s host hopes that it will draw in many viewers and has been hyping viewers up via social media and “sneak peaks” at their website.  

The “Baby Schema” Effect Helps Adorable Puppies Appear… Adorable!

Why then, are people so attracted to watching puppies on primetime television? A 2015 article by How It Works discusses that the physical characteristics of the animals promote a near instance chemical reaction in the human mind. We see characteristics such as chubby bodies, large eyes, soft textures that are attributed to bonding with our own young. These applied characteristics have been coined as “Baby Schema.”

The article continues to express that this reaction is ingrained within our psyche and produces a hormonal response, similar to the feelings expressed when a human feels love or affection. They cite a recent study which explains these neurotransmitters of dopamine and oxytocin release the pleasure, or reward, section of the brain.
 

Cuteness Factor, It’s a Thing

Not all puppies are created equal. A recent article by Rover.com called The Science of Cute: How Cuteness Makes Us Love Our Dogs expands on the Baby Schema and discusses how cuteness is a state of being.

Pixaby/CC0 Public Domain
Source: Pixaby/CC0 Public Domain

If you think of it, some people will look at varying human babies and attribute their own perception of cuteness. Some people avidly admit there is such a thing as an ugly baby, and others believe opposite... but that’s a discussion for another day.

Our own personal psyche helps us decide whether our hearts melt at a scrawny puppy Chihuahua, or if you fall more quickly in love with a slobbery baby Bernard. One thing is for certain if you’re an animal lover you might want to make sure to watch the Puppy Bowl.

Think of watching the Puppy Bowl as a psychological experiment. Block all distractions, all politics, and all drama. Give all your attention to the puppies and see if your dopamine and oxytocin kick into gear.

If you’re smiling, well then you know the answer.

Pixaby/CC0 Public Domain
Source: Pixaby/CC0 Public Domain

Adam Clark, LSW, AASW is a published writer, educator, and adjunct professor at the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Social Work. Adam focuses his work on the psychology behind the human-animal bond, specializing in endings and transitions. He is passionate about reducing the cultural stigma associated with pet loss, supporting pet owners, and educating veterinary professionals. Additional information on Adam and his current projects can be found at www.lovelosstransition.com, or he can best be reached at adam@lovelosstransition.com