When dogs want something, they’ll do everything to get your attention. Whether they stare incessantly at you or do something silly, it’s up to our canine pals to choose.
Yet, while canines are very expressive, do they also do the same when hinting to us how they feel?
Do they even know how to say “I love you” when they appreciate you taking care of them?
Well, if you’re wondering about the same thing, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s together discover the different ways canines say “I love you” without you even realizing it.
How do dogs say I love you?
Learning a dog’s love language isn’t hard to decipher at all. A canine can stare into your eyes, raise their eyebrows and show their tongues, bring you their favorite toys, or even wag their tails to show their love. More expressive dogs even cuddle, lean, or drift off to sleep with you on the bed. But, receiving head pats, yawning, calmly watching you leave, and warmly welcoming you home also mean the same thing.
1. Gazes lovingly into your eyes
Do you remember how one famous adage describes the eyes as the windows to one’s soul? Surprisingly though, this saying is highly applicable in the canine world.
How is this even possible?
Well, researchers found out that puppies forge emotional bonds with their owners through eye contact.
Think of it like they’re telepathically telling us how they feel safe around us and that they appreciate it.
Some scientists even relate this incessant gazing to a canine’s virtual hug. So, when you catch your doggo staring at you with the cutest puppy eyes, know that they’re madly in love with you.
2. Raises their eyebrows while sticking out their tongues
Another subtle “I love you” for canines is combining raising their eyebrows while showing their tongues.
Though such gestures look like they’re panting, dogs do this for the most adorable reason. They want to look ultra-cute in your eyes so you’ll eventually smother them with hugs and kisses!
But, while it’s cute, what eyebrow they use spells the difference between affection and annoyance.
Per a Japanese study, when canines lift their left eyebrow, it means they’re more emotionally invested in you. They already know you or that object and that he’s relaxed when around you.
Yet, when dogs raise their right eyebrow, it sends a subtle warning that they’re wary of your presence.
So, when you find your beloved pups raising their eyebrows, observe which eyebrow they’re using. In that way, you won’t miss the indirect signals they’re giving you.
3. Shows you his toys
Everyone knows how possessive dogs are when it concerns their most prized items – toys!
Even seasoned fur parents rarely get the chance to hold a doggy toy without their pups yapping at them.
However, if your pup genuinely admires and adores you, he’ll want to please you more than ever. To show their deep emotional tie with you, canines eagerly carry and present their toys.
Sometimes, it’s even a silent invitation for you to play with them.
Though such a behavior’s bizarre, there’s logical reasoning why pups make this move.
Remember how canines stay in packs? And, with every dog pack, there’s a leader, right?
Since you’re their fur parent, you naturally stand as their pack leader. In a bid to show their submissive behavior, they’re willing to allow you to play with their treasured toys.
And, if they sense you’re hesitant to take their “gift,” canines will even nudge you to take it. Simply put, dogs will make this gesture if they trust you wholeheartedly and that they feel safe around you.
4. Tail wagging
If the first three body languages aren’t familiar enough, perhaps tail wagging will ring a bell.
It’s not unknown to most of us how dogs energetically wag their tails when they’re feeling giddy with happiness. However, expressing their joy is merely part and parcel of what tail wagging means.
If you’re observant enough, you’ll notice specific patterns to their tail wagging.
When a pup’s tail is loose and relaxed during wagging, then it simply means he’s happy to see you.
A happy doggo even sweeps its bushy tail back and forth to show its friendly side. Pups even wag their tail in circles to further demonstrate their excitement and love for you.
5. Cuddling
Another surefire way canines express their sincerest I love you is if they want to hug you all the time. And, by all the time, it means everywhere you go regardless of whatever you’re doing.
Some fur parents might think of this affectionate gesture as being overly clingy. But such a move tells us that they’re smitten with their intense love for you.
And, if you notice your doggo hugging you after a delicious meal, it shows how emotionally attached your canine is to you.
However, cuddling not only shows a pup’s affection for its fur parents. It also strengthens the bonds that canines have with their hoomans.
So, the next time your furry friend wraps his fluffy paws oen you, savor the moment.
6. Lean on you
Just like how humans lean on their loved ones for support, canines also use such gestures to portray their deepest emotions.
Though dogs don’t do this all the time, leaning on their favorite persons implies how much they trust you.
Whether pups make such a move out of anxiety or the need to tell you something they want you to do, it doesn’t matter.
Once canines feel more attached to you, they’ll start exhibiting more of this gesture.
So, don’t complain if your pup suddenly shifts his weight on you. Since you’re their go-to person, canines will seek your comforting embrace whenever they want it.
7. Sleep with you on the bed
Who among us here hasn’t dreamt of sleeping next to their beloved canines in bed?
While some won’t want their pups to share their precious mattresses, other hoomans revel in the experience.
And, it seems it’s not only humans that love snuggling next to you in the comfy sheets. It turns out; canines love this gesture as well to meet their emotional needs.
Though cuddling in bed seems intrusive, dogs merely do this as they consider you as a part of their family. And, since you’re family, then it’s only fitting to stay beside you.
Even if pups don’t sleep, simply staying close is already a sign of his loyalty to you.
8. Loves receiving head pats
Dogs don’t like overly-affectionate people immediately patting their heads. Not only does such an action seem intrusive, but they also don’t trust that person just yet.
However, if canines allow a person to pat his head, it simply means he’s already trusting that person.
A pup will even bask at the moment and subtly hint how much they’re enjoying it by closing their eyes as well.
So, if ever your doggo loves and even asks you to carry on with the head-patting, be happy. It means you’ve already made your way into their hearts.
9. Copying your yawn
What’s more contagious other than diseases? If you’ve thought about a yawn, you’re on the right track.
Though it’s puzzling, a dog yawning after seeing his human yawn is another clear sign of how he loves you.
How so?
Well, as researchers have found out in human studies, contagious yawning is a sign of empathy. It means that that person’s deeply attached to another.
And, while it’s surprising, such a phenomenon can also happen with dogs. Thus, when you spot your pup yawning after you, don’t immediately dismiss it as the doggo’s way of expressing its tiredness.
10. Quietly watches you leave the house
For most fur parents, a dog panicking once he sees you leaving is a clear sign of their great love and loyalty for you. But, while it may seem so, it isn’t true at all.
According to a famous study by Gregory Berns, a canine panicking when you leave is a sign of separation anxiety. Simply put, they don’t trust you that much yet.
However, when your doggo stays put and calmly watches you walk out the gate, it means he already has trust in you.
The pup trusts that you’ll never abandon him, that you love him, and that you’ll return like you usually do.
So, don’t panic if your pup doesn’t do pitiful acts to make you stay. The calmer he is, the deeper is his level of trust and love for you.
11. Excitedly welcomes you home
While calmly watching you leave is a sign of a pup’s deep trust in his human, the exact opposite is expected once you return.
Jumping ecstatically, running around the house, or even yelping like he’s hurt are all signs of how much your dog loves you.
He’s happy beyond words that he can merely zoom around the house to tell you how glad he is that you’ve finally returned.
Sometimes, canines even kiss their fur parents to exemplify their deep love for you further.
So, if ever they perform some or even a combination of these moves, don’t panic. Let the canine be and reciprocate as much as possible.
Though there are still other gestures not mentioned above, the best indicator that your pup loves you is how happy he is just by being with you.
No words need to be exchanged if you and your beloved canine have a deep connection with each other.