I know why you’re here. You want to know just how much your dog loves and admires you.
Well, you’re in for a treat!
Dogs show affection and admiration for their humans in so many ways, you probably missed quite a few of them! But in this article, I’ll share how dogs show affection and admiration for their humans.
This way, you will know just how much your dog loves you.
(Spoiler alert: it’s a lot!).
By Mila Bander.
Affiliate Disclosure
This post may contain affiliate links. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through these links. This is at no extra cost to you.
Dogs Cuddle With Humans to Show Affection
Showing affection by cuddling and being close is something natural between puppies and their moms.
Dogs can show this behavior towards their favorite humans as well.
When a dog loves you, they want to cuddle, hug you and possibly lick your face (make sure to brush their teeth! Thank me later!).
Cuddling with your dog is also good for your health and their health, since the hormone oxytocin is released in both species during these sweet moments.
Dogs Treat Humans They Love as Part of Their Pack
Dogs can display “herding” behavior towards their humans. They might want to protect their loved ones from wandering off on their own since in their vision, this can leave them vulnerable.
You know, a lonely lamb is easier to catch!
Dogs can try to prevent you from leaving on your own, from leaving the sidewalk, among other things.
This behavior is more apparent in breeds that were originally developed to care for lambs among other animals, such as Australian shepherds and Border collies.
Your Dog Admires You More Than You Think
Dogs are very similar to wolves. Wolves are naturally social and live in packs. Dogs show similar behavior.
After the bond with your dog becomes stronger, he or she will see you with admiration and respect.
You are like the “pack leader” for them.
The most important individual in their life.
Dogs will look to their owners for safety, love, companionship, approval and guidance.
Dogs Guard Their Humans While They Eat
Dogs have the instinct to protect their pack from what they consider threats.
And because they see you as part of their pack, they might want to protect you while you’re vulnerable.
Dogs might want to guard you while you eat or sleep, for example.
Although this behavior is natural and really cute, most veterinarians and dog trainers would discourage it, since it can make dogs overly protective, territorial and even aggressive towards other humans and dogs.
This could potentially create a stressful environment for the dog itself, where he/she thinks they have to be on guard all the time, and also create a stressful environment for humans.
Make sure your dogs feel safe in the world, and around you.
Dogs Will Follow You Around When They Love You
Dogs, especially puppies, need to not only be safe, but also feel safe and secure.
When your puppy follows you around, it’s because he or she feels safe when around you.
You naturally give your dog the sense of safety and security they need, and they will cherish that with their own devotion and love towards you, for their entire lives.
Dogs Want Their Humans to Fix Things
According to anthrozoology instructor and veterinary technician, Michelle L. Szydlowski, dogs can show affection and trust to humans they love by bringing them broken objects or even dead animals that they believe need “fixing”.
Dogs are also showing faith in their owner’s intelligence when they show this behavior.
They might be asking their owner to “solve the problem” when they whine.
They’re basically saying: “Can you solve this problem? This doesn’t seem right!”
Dogs Smile at You to Show How Happy They Are
Maybe you thought it was just your imagination, but the good news is that dogs really can and do smile at you!
Domesticated dogs learn how to communicate with humans through facial expressions and body language.
Some dogs actually mimic the way humans smile, even showing their teeth!
A few studies show that dogs actually understand our facial expressions and tone of voice, and they also have their own facial expressions for different situations.
Dogs can smile, beg, look sad or ashamed, among many other facial expressions. And the study found that they are always honest about their feelings.
Dogs don’t lie.
So, the next time your dogs seem all happy and wholesome around you, it’s because they really are!
Your Dog Might Lend You Their Favorite Toy
Sometimes, your dog might bring you one of their favorite toys.
You might think it’s because they want to play, but it can actually be a gift.
Your dog is lending you their prized possession expecting you to like it as much as he or she does. Isn’t that unbelievably cute?
Dogs Sense When Their Loved Ones are Unwell – And They Try to Help
Studies have found that dogs recognize human emotions by combining information from different senses.
With their excellent sense of smell, dogs can also notice when their owners are unwell, and even detect diseases such as cancer.
Dogs can also detect sadness, anxiety and depression.
They can smell hormone production and rise and fall of brain chemicals.
But there’s more; one study found that dogs not only know when their loved ones are upset, they also try to do something to help!
In the study, when owners pretended to cry behind a closed door, most dogs felt distressed and came fast to open the door and be with them.
Dogs can run to their owners to save them, cuddle, bark, call for help, among many other demonstrations of love and loyalty.
Dogs Get Excited When They Hear Their Owner’s Name
Dogs are capable of learning not just their own names, tricks, and object names, but also their owners’ names, and they get excited when their owners’ names are mentioned.
Over time, dogs learn to recognize humans by their names. So even if someone isn’t present, they’ll get excited thinking they might appear.
Photo by StockSnap.