How do you know your dog loves you?

When we are loved by other humans it's pretty easy to tell. They will probably tell you, write you a poem, give you gifts or hug and kiss you. But how do you know if your dog loves you? After all they can't say with words and they can't buy you things to show what you mean to him. Wondering this myself I found 5 ways you can tell if your dog loves you in a book by Gregory Berns called How Dogs Love Us. Here are 5 ways to see if your dog loves you without examining it's brain.

1. Does your dog come to sit with you after eating? 

What your dog does after eating will determine what is most important to them. In the morning my dog needs to go to the toilet too much to think about coming for cuddles. However after dinner it's a different story. When he has finished he will always come for find me or my boyfriend and sit with us for a while wherever we are.

2.Do they want to sleep with you?

Although most people don't let their dog up on the bed with them, them trying to sleep with you is a sign of their loyalty to you and wanting to sleep with "the pack". My dog sleeps in my room all of the time and most mornings I find him curled up in a ball at the end of the bed. For a bull in a china shop he is incredibly stealthy when getting a cosy spot on the bed. Although I don't mind him having a snooze on the bed when there is a cover on it my boyfriend, Tariq, takes it one step further and tucks him in... That is fine, but where do I sleep?

3. What do they act like when you leave the house?

Does your dog get worried and stressed when you leave the house? Well this is actually a sign of separation anxiety rather than love. This doesn't mean that your dog doesn't love you it just means that they're insecure and worried about when you're are going to come home. If your dog loves you and trusts that you're going to return they will likely go and rest awaiting your return. I have secretly watched to see what Zeek does when I leave the house. Most of the time it's a huff followed by a stroll to the bedroom and a snooze on my bed. If this isn't the case for you here is a video on tips to help your dog relax when he is home alone.
Tips to Help Your Dog Relax When He's Home Alone - YouTube

4. What do they act like when you come home?

Gregory Berns says that if your dog loves you your dog will want to come and greet you when you come home, much like wolves would greet others from the pack when they return. Tariq will often bring our dog to meet me from work and Zeek is always very excited when he sees me and tries to get to me as quickly as he can. He is the same when I take him to meet Tariq or when we come home from being out. If we have left the house together and only one of us return he always takes a second look to see if the other is there. 

5.Do you love your dog?

If you love your dog then it is likely that they will love you back. I'd say I love my dog as much as my family members, considering my pooch is like my baby and I prefer spending time with him to most humans.

From all of this I can safely say that Zeek is happy to be part of our family. 

It's your turn! Please leave your thoughts and experiences on this topic in the comments section below.

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Thanks for reading. Bye for now.