How to Know Your Dog Loves You: Signs We Overlook

We dog owners all know the big, in-your-face signs that our dogs love us. The wagging tail every time we walk through the door, the face-licking that greets us, or how he snuggles on our couch next to us. But there's a bit more to it, and we might miss some of these subtler signs while getting along with our daily routine. However, while dogs are not able to tell you the words, "I love you," their actions say it for sure. Let's take a bit of a closer look at the less vocal gestures of affection on behalf of your dog-like signs you never knew were love letters from your furry best friend.

Eye Contact: A Window to Your Dog's Affection

Eye contact is one of the most powerful indicators of love, but it's something that dogs are rather picky about. When wild animals hold their gaze too long, it's usually for a challenge or a threat. However, when your dog looks into your eyes, it's not a challenge coming from them but a bond. When a dog looks at his human with relaxed and soft eyes, that's a form of trust and bonding. Research even shows that when your pup looks into your eyes, both you and pup feel that release of oxytocin, aka the "love hormone." So next time your pup gazes up at you, he's essentially giving you assurance that he is safe and loved.

Keeping Company

You can lose track of how much your dog just wants to be by your side. If your puppy follows you from room to room even if you're doing boring stuff like laundry or brushing your teeth, they are telling you just how much they will treasure your company. Dogs belong to a pack, and you happen to be their pack leader. Being close to you makes them feel safe and happy. It may seem like a little thing, but the shadowing is indeed a sign of serious attachment. Even if you are just doing nothing special, they'll find the time to accompany you.

Utilizing You as a Resting Location

When sitting on the sofa, you will notice your dog leaning onto one of your legs. A move like this, where he leans on you, can give off a casual or lazy impression, but in truth, it is a type of unstated affection. When a dog leans on you, this means he or she trusts and feels comfortable. They need your intimacy and body warmth, which is too much for the more conservative natures of wild animals to consider and think about where they might lie down to sleep. This simple act of leaning is akin to a silent reminder that they deem you their haven and haven of comfort.

Bringing Their Favorite Toy into You

One of the purest, but at times overlooked, is when your dog brings you his favorite toy. Okay, you might be thinking, it's easy to interpret this behavior as an invitation to play. There's more to this behavior, though. A dog does not merely take its toys to anyone in the house; it shares it, yes, only with people whom it trusts and really cares about. Think about it, that toy is probably at the top of its list, so it's offering it to you. It's their way of saying, "I want to share something special with you." So, even if you're not in the mood to throw the ball for the hundredth time, know that your dog is offering you a little piece of their heart.

Licking: More Than Just a Sloppy Kiss

Most of us know the dog's propensity to lick—especially when we haven't been around for a while. It is actually usually referred to as a "kiss," but there is more to it than just love. In the wild, wolves usually lick the faces of their members to show their submission, respect, and love. Domesticated dogs mean the same thing by the behavior. Thus, when your dog licks your hand, face, and even your feet, they are expressing their attachment to you and their awareness of what part you play in their life. That's their way of saying, "You're part of my pack, and I care about you."

Showing Their Belly

Now, when your dog rolls onto his back and shows you his belly, then this is more than an invitation for a rub, but it's a highly significant act of trust and affection. Being one of the most vulnerable parts of their body, it indicates that they feel safe and comfortable around you. This usually comes with open, relaxed body language and wagging tail, which suggests that he is quite all right around you.

Emulation of Your Feelings

Dogs have this intuition about their human's feelings. When you find that your dog copies your mood, whether happy, sad, or stressed, it is a good sign that he shows love and care for you. Whenever you are upset, your dog may rest its head in your lap or snuggle up with you more than usual, intuitionally knowing you need to feel comforted. Dogs are able to sense more emotional cues than we give them credit for, and their responses reflect their very displays of care. It is due to this sensitive emotional capacity that makes the relationship of people and dogs unique.

The Happy Welcome

One of the most warming displays of affection from your dog is when he receives you at the door after having been away for hours, minutes, or whatever the length of time. That tail wagging with excitement, jumping up and down, and maybe a few happy barks are all ways your dog lets you know they've missed you. They have an amazing talent of making you feel like the most important person in this world, and their excitement when you come back home, even after a short absence, is their own way of saying, "I love you and I'm so happy you're back."

A Love Language All Their Own

Your dog may not have the ability to speak your love language, but he speaks it in other ways. This quiet display of affection, such as a sustained gaze or closeness, can be easily missed in the flurry of activity. But if you pay attention to these quiet expressions of affection, you will be able to develop a relationship with your dog and understand love from another lens, a lens that looks at individual languages through which each conveys it.
So when your dog leans against you, brings you his favorite toy or looks into your eyes in contemplation, remember at that moment, what they are trying to say: "You mean the world to me."