Many dogs even prefer a belly rub from their owners than a treat. Sure, some dogs react more strongly to food. But if your dog wants attention more than he wants a treat, that’s a pretty good sign he values your attention.
Humans and dogs can, on a basic level, understand each other’s emotional responses. And dogs like to spend time with humans because dogs love us. Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson writes in the book, Dogs Never Lie About Love, that “once a dog loves you, he loves you always, no matter what you do, no matter what happens, no matter how much time goes by.”.
The dog itself wants to give out love.” Dogs, like humans, seem to have multiple types of intelligence. Some show empathy. Others excel at communication. Yet others have great memory. And some show exceptional reasoning skills. You might want your dog to be smart. But the New York Times notes that smart dogs aren’t always fun to live with. So if your dog is eager to please you and tries to obey your rules, you know your dog loves you — even if he isn’t the smartest animal on the block.
You’ve probably realized if your dog wags his tail or turns his head when you walk into the room he’s happy to see you. But researchers have discovered another interesting behavior. They recorded dogs’ facial expressions with high-speed cameras and found dogs raise their left eyebrows when they see their owners. The dogs didn’t raise their eyebrows to just any positive stimuli. For instance, they didn’t raise their eyebrows when they saw an attractive toy. So the researchers concluded the eyebrow lift likely reflects “the dog’s attachment to the owner.”
When your pup brings you their favorite toys, not only do they want to play—although that is also a sign of deep affection—they also think you’ll love their slobber-covered squirrel or ripped up Kong as much as they do. They are offering their most prized possession to please you and as they say, “sharing is caring!
In his book, How Dogs Love Us, Gregory Berns says that if your dog cuddles with your after eating, it’s a strong sign of affection. Most dogs lovers know that pups are motivated by food. But according to Berns, once a dog eats all of its food, his next action can signify what’s most important to him besides eating.
Does your dog ever stretch out next to you and let out a long, happy sigh? Soft vocalizations like sighs and low groans are signs of contentment in dogs.If your dog snuggles up and sighs, it means they feel safe and comfortable by your side.
When your dog flops over and wags their tail, they’re telling you they like you—and trust you—a lot.
Does your dog ever come up and nudge you with their nose? This can be a sign of affection, a way for your dog to say “Hey, I like you!” Of course, nose-nudging is also a way for dogs to seek attention, or to let you know you’re in their way. You’ll know your dog is expressing affection if the nose-nudge is accompanied by a soulful stare, or leads to more full-body contact.
