Knowing and feeling your dog loves you isn’t just you projecting your human emotions onto your dog. As if there were any doubts, your dog loves you!
Over the years, science has confirmed what we already know. Dogs experience love and affection for their owners. It’s true, unspoken love.
And it’s not just about the food.
A flick of the tongue and a wag of the tail aren’t the only ways man’s best friend shows their undying devotion.
Here are four ways that dogs love their owners. This affectionate cycle makes you both happy.
Dogs love owners: Staring
Eye contact is an indication of love in certain situations. When your dog looks you in the eye, he is “hugging you with his eyes,” according to Dr. Brian Hare, a leading dog expert featured on a “60 Minutes” segment with Anderson Cooper.
Oxytocin — aka the “cuddle hormone” or “love hormone” — is released when you are snuggling, playing, or bonding in some way.
It’s the same hormone that helps babies and new mommies bond. So when your dog looks at you, it’s a natural interaction that releases oxytocin, not a staring contest.
Approaching after eating
Have you ever noticed that when your dog finishes his last bite of food in his bowl, he’ll immediately go up to you while licking his chops? It’s as if he’s saying, “Thank you, that was a really good meal.”
Yes, dogs are motivated by food, but if you’re the first person he goes to or wants to cuddle with after his meal, it’s a good sign that other than eating, you are the most essential thing in his life, explains neuroscientist Gregory Berns in his book “How Dogs Love Us.”
Watching you leave
If your dog calmly watches you leave the house, it’s a sign that she trusts you and knows you’ll return.
On the other hand, if your dog flips out at the first sign you may be leaving, she doesn’t want to be left alone, which is a sign of separation anxiety.
A well-adjusted dog is more likely to go ballistic when you get home from work because it is so happy to see you.
Dogs love owners: Sleeping in your bed
If your dog wants to sleep in your bed or cuddle next to you on the couch, she shows her devotion.
Berns said if your dog wants to sleep in bed with you, she doesn’t want to be separated from the pack — or you, the pack leader.
Moreover, science has shown that dogs make the best sleeping companions. A study by the Mayo Clinic showed that people with dogs are more likely to sleep better and more deeply than those who do not.
The study tracked the sleep activity of 40 healthy adults and found that those who let their dogs sleep in their bedroom had a much easier time falling asleep than those who did not.
“Most people assume having pets in the bedroom is a disruption,” said Lois Krahn, a sleep medicine specialist at the Center for Sleep Medicine on Mayo Clinic’s Arizona campus. “We found that many people find comfort and a sense of security from sleeping with their pets.”
Create a healthy bond
It goes both ways. Dogs rely on us for shelter and food, but also need security, social comfort, and bonding.
For humans, bonding with an animal for a mere 15 minutes a day produces serotonin, the feel-good hormone, as well as prolactin and oxytocin.
Therapy animals make good companions because they offer so many amazing benefits.
While there are plenty of scientific ways to confirm your dog expresses love, you already knew this in your heart. Keep feelin’ the love.
– Noah Rue
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