Are you wondering if your dog even cares about you even though you spend so much money on it on a daily basis? Isn’t it disheartening to find out that your most precious darling might be holding a grudge against you because of that one time you scolded it?
Don’t make judgements so quickly! Let’s conduct an analysis with the following signs your dog loves you before making an ultimatum!
- More to read: What Is The Rainbow Bridge And After The Loss Of Our Pets, Why Do We Say They Crossed It?
10 Signs That Your Dog Loves You
Here is a possible checklist of all the signs your dog loves you. Let’s find out in detail!
1. Your Dog Licks You
Licking is like kissing for pets, like dogs, and they usually can’t give enough of it to the people who take care of them. Since dogs are generally affectionate and loyal creatures, they would always take the chance to express their love in the form of licking.
You would often notice your dog licking you when you get inside the house as a way of welcoming you back home. They would lick you to say ‘thank you’ for giving them their favourite treat, or buying them their favourite toys, or because you spend the first few minutes of your morning snuggling them!
Therefore, it is safe to say that one of the main signs your dog loves you the most is in the form of licking. Unlink puppies, adult dogs won’t lick you unless they have special feelings for you!
2. Your Dog Likes to Greet You at the Door
Your dog feels sad when you leave for work and stay away from it for ages. That is why they might often sit by the door whenever you get back home. When it does this, this is an obvious sign that your dog loves you, and is waiting for you by the door to greet you as soon as possible!
Sometimes though, your dog won’t be willing to greet you at the door. It’s probably because their notorious side got the better of them while you were away. Therefore, they may feel they’d get scolded when they see you. But just because they fear the consequences of their actions doesn’t necessarily mean that they hate you.
It simply shows that they are sentient creatures who understand a lot more than you give them credit for! Your pooch loves you regardless of how mad you get at them because you would melt at their cuteness anyway sooner or later.
3. Your Dog Seeks Physical Contact
Dogs have been co-existing with humans for thousands of years now. It is not unusual for these two species to get along, to be honest. Your dog would naturally seek physical contact with you if it feels safe around you and is craving some attention.
Now, your dog may get physically close to you in the form of leaning, pawing you, putting its head on your lap, and snuggling next to you. The truth is you feed them, give them a safe place to live and sleep, give them toys, and take care of their health problems. So, the least this pooch can do for you is give you affection that no other human can!
4. Your Dog Gives You a Doggy Smile
A dog's smile? What a sight to behold, huh? If that can’t melt you, I don’t know what can!
Your dog is not necessarily smiling because it finds something funny. Usually, it does so because it is happy, content, and relaxed. In other words, it means that you have done a great job as its owner!
A doggy’s smile means that it means no harm to you in a submissive way. For that reason, your doggo can smile at strangers or guests who have never done anything for them!
Sometimes, it may even smile back at you because you smiled. This behaviour is not limited to canines though because zoo animals that have been reared by humans often show signs of mimicking human behaviour.
5. Your Dog Follows You Everywhere
Your dog following you everywhere is different from your dog greeting you, licking you and wanting constant physical contact. There are a number of reasons why your little sweetheart might be following you everywhere, even to the bathroom, the major one being they want to be close to you.
But they can also tag along everywhere because they might be having some form of separation anxiety, or they could be hurting somewhere in the body. However, it could also be basic wants such as food, water, toys, security, and comfort.
Dogs that have been bred and reared at home can’t endure strange noises, atypical visual stimulation, or new people. Since they can’t communicate their needs through their voice, they would do so by following you.
Is it a form of love? Yes! And trust.
6. Your Pup Brings You Their Favorite Toy
If you own a pup, and you watch it bring you toys, don’t you just melt at the sight of it? And how can you even resist this gesture of innocence and playfulness?
Young puppies are full of energy, and they need constant stimulation to burn all that excitement. If they can’t find a canine partner to play with, they would of course target the human counterpart.
Pups are emotionally attached to their toys, and therefore, sharing them with you is a way of expressing that they trust you. Can we translate their trust as love? Of course! The meaning is simple: they want to share their treasure with you because they enjoy your company.
7. Your Dog Wants to Sleep Next to You
This one is quite simple. Would you want to sleep next to someone you don’t like? No, right?
If your dog thinks that it would be safe by sleeping next to you, they would do it every day! Since pet dogs are emotionally attached to their owners, they like to sleep on their owner’s beds instead of their own. Although sometimes they would choose their own bed over their parents', it’s only normal to want some space from time to time.
They might even sleep next to you to protect you from harm if something dangerous has happened recently. Furthermore, dogs are sensitive to external stimuli, and their instinct to protect you shoots up if they sense something out of the ordinary. That could be another reason they’d refuse to leave your side, even during bed time.
Undoubtedly, if your dog feels like it needs to protect you, this is a sure sign of it loving you at its own peril!
8. Your Dog Comes to Cuddle with You
Unlike humans who can use a blanket to cover them when it is cold, dogs don’t have that luxury. That is the reason you would often notice puppies cuddling with each other or with their mom to feel warm and belonged.
From that, we can decipher that your dog can come to you for cuddles if they want to feel a sense of belonging. This sign is more prominent if you spend a lot of time outside and not much time with your dog. They would make simple excuses to get near you and spend time with you.
In fact, both dogs and humans benefit from the simple act of cuddling. Research confirms that the hormone oxytocin in both species rises significantly when they cuddle.
9. Your Dog Holds Eye Contact
What are signs that your dog loves you? There are many signs, but the most reliable one is ‘eye contact’. However, this eye contact is different from a glare. Your dog is not trying to intimidate you or trying to fight you for territory.
If your dog becomes uncomfortable or threatened by eye contact, it would turn or look away. We are sorry to say that if that happens to you, your dog fears you.
As a matter of fact, mutual eye contact between you and your dog releases oxytocin, the famous love hormone. Following, it creates trust, bond, and affection in each other. Therefore, if your dog can hold eye contact with you, this is a surefire sign of it loving you till death do us part!
10. Your Dog Comforts You
In general, animals are more equipped to understand emotions than humans. That is to say, domesticated animals like dogs are very attuned to the emotions of their owners. In fact, their ability to sense danger and surprises before it has even happened can marvel us all!
So, when you are having a bad day, your dog would rush to you for comfort because they can sense your mood deeply. And if having such an emotional connection isn’t sign enough, what is?
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Wrapping Up
So, how many points did you tick off yet? If your dog does it all, congratulations your dog loves you a lot!
However, don’t worry even if your dog has not displayed all the signs of its undying love for you. If you have adopted them quite recently, it would definitely take more time for them to get comfortable with you.
Additionally, you can’t judge a book by its cover. Each dog has its own unique set of qualities, and some dogs might just be reluctant to express mushy emotions too openly. That still doesn’t equate to them not loving you! It just means they love you in their own way.
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