How do you know if your dog loves you? It doesn’t just hang off you like a monkey and bow whenever it sees you, right? How do you know that that isn’t just the excitement of playing with you or the appreciation of having food you’ve given them? Is there a way to read your dog’s body language to see how it really feels about you?
Luckily, there is! There are several ways that you can tell if your dog loves you. Below we will go over some of the most common ones.
Eye Contact – Puppy eyes or not, as long as your dog can maintain prolonged, deep eye contact with you, that’s a clear sign that they love you. Like humans, we tend to maintain eye contact (without even noticing it) with people with admire and feel most comfortable. In fact, science says that when your dog looks at you, their brain releases oxytocin, otherwise known as “the love hormone”. So they literally have heart eyes for you!
Tail Wags (Excitement) – As all dog lovers know, there is much to tell by how dogs move their tails. One tail signal is much more important and worthy of looking out for the tail wag. Tail wags result from extreme excitement, love, and admiration overflowing out of our furry friends. Not to mention how excited and giddy they are as soon as you walk in.
Leaning – Dogs may lean on you when they feel anxious, want to be petted/cuddled, or try to move on you, so you give them treats; kidding aside, leaning is known to be one of the distinct signs that dogs love you.
Rolling Around Their Back – Dogs rolling around on their backs asking for a belly rub is a very intimate sign that they are, in fact, very in love with you. Like us humans, it takes a lot to be vulnerable, and in dog-terms, it’s just one of their ways to show their affection for you.
Sleeping Near You – Even if you don’t let your dog sleep next to you in bed, yet it still sleeps close to you or inside the bedroom, consider it a sign of loyalty, affection, and admiration for you. This may also be a sign of them protecting you (whilst you sleep).
More often than not, a pet’s love is unconditional — they care little about how you look, how successful you are, or how much you make. To them, family is family, and that’s all that matters. So if you’re looking to find out if your dog loves you, look no further than their actions: they’ll tell you that they show affection every day in their own ways.
