Domestic animals often seek and enjoy interacting with humans. Positive human–animal relationships can elicit positive emotions and other positive welfare outcomes. Nevertheless, our understanding of the underlying processes that govern the positive perception of humans by animals is incomplete. We cover the potential mechanisms involved in the development and maintenance of positive human–animal relationships from the perspective of the animal. This encompasses habituation, associative learning, and possibly attachment or bonding based on communication and social cognition. We review the indicators from the literature to assess a positive human–animal relationship. We operationally define this positive relationship as the animal showing voluntary approach and spatial proximity (seeking) and signs of anticipation, pleasure, relaxation, or other indicators of a rewarding experience from interacting with the human. For research, we recommend accounting for the baseline human–animal relationship in the animal's everyday life, and incorporating a control treatment rather than only comparing positive to negative interaction treatments. Furthermore, animal characteristics, such as previous experience, genetics, and individual predisposition, as well as contextual characteristics related to the social and physical environment, may modulate the perception of humans by animals. The human–animal relationship is also influenced by human characteristics, such as the person's familiarity to the animal, attitudes, skills, and knowledge. We highlight implications for current practices and suggest simple solutions, such as paying attention to the animal's behavioral response to humans and providing choice and control to the animal in terms of when and how to interact with humans. Practical applications to achieve a positive perception of humans could be better utilized, such as by incorporating training principles, while keeping in mind trust and safety of both partners. Overall, there is growing evidence in the scientific literature that a positive human–animal relationship can bring intrinsic rewards to the animals and thereby benefit animal welfare. Further research is needed on the underlying processes to establish an effective positive human–animal relationship, especially in regard to the type, frequency, and length of human interaction necessary. In particular, the importance of providing animals with a sense of agency over their interactions with humans remains poorly understood.

家养动物经常寻求并享受与人类的互动。积极的人与动物关系可以引发积极的情绪和其他积极的福利成果。然而，我们对动物对人类积极感知的基本过程的理解并不完整。我们从动物的角度探讨了发展和维持积极的人与动物关系的潜在机制。这包括习惯、联想学习，以及可能的基于沟通和社会认知的依恋或联系。我们回顾文献中的指标来评估积极的人与动物关系。我们在操作上将这种积极关系定义为动物表现出自愿接近和空间接近（寻求）以及期待、快乐、放松或其他与人类互动的有益体验的迹象。对于研究，我们建议考虑动物日常生活中的基线人与动物关系，并纳入对照治疗，而不是仅比较积极与消极的互动治疗。此外，动物特征，例如先前的经验、遗传和个体倾向，以及与社会和物理环境相关的背景特征，可能会调节动物对人类的感知。人与动物的关系也受到人类特征的影响，例如人对动物的熟悉程度、态度、技能和知识。我们强调了对当前实践的影响，并提出了简单的解决方案，例如关注动物对人类的行为反应，并在何时以及如何与人类互动方面为动物提供选择和控制。 可以更好地利用实际应用来实现对人类的积极认知，例如通过纳入培训原则，同时牢记双方的信任和安全。总体而言，科学文献中有越来越多的证据表明，积极的人与动物关系可以给动物带来内在的回报，从而有利于动物福利。需要对建立有效的积极人与动物关系的基​​本过程进行进一步的研究，特别是在必要的人类互动的类型、频率和持续时间方面。特别是，为动物提供与人类互动的代理感的重要性仍然知之甚少。