It’s February – the month of love! For our furry friends, love is always in the air, but because we don’t speak the same language, we might miss their loving messages. Dogs have a unique way of expressing their love, often leaving us wondering if they truly care or if it’s just about the treats. Am I right?! After years as a professional dog walker, I can assure you that dogs do love us, and they show it in various heartwarming ways. Let’s explore the top 5 ways our dogs tell us they love us.
1. The Enthusiastic Welcome
There’s nothing quite like walking into the sight of a dog who’s overjoyed to see you. This exuberant greeting is one of the most obvious signs of a dog’s love. When you open the door, you’re met with a whirlwind of excitement – tail wagging furiously, maybe some jumping, and possibly even happy barks or whines. This isn’t just about food or walks; it’s your dog expressing pure joy at your return. They’ve missed you and are thrilled to have you back in their presence.
As professional dog caregivers, we see these reactions all the time. While your dogs may not greet us as exuberantly as they greet you, their pet parents and families, they put on a little show for us too and it always warms our hearts!
2. Seeking Physical Contact
Dogs are pack animals by nature, and physical closeness is a significant way they show affection amongst themselves. Packs are very similar to families – they take care of each other and miss each other when they are apart.
Dogs often display their loving feelings toward humans in the following ways:
- Cuddling: When your dog snuggles up to you on the couch or in bed, they’re not just seeking warmth. This close contact releases oxytocin, often called the “love hormone,” in both you and your dog.
- Leaning: If your dog leans their full weight against you, it’s a sign of trust and affection. They see you as a protector and want to be close to you. It’s also an invitation to pet them!
- Following you around: If your dog is your constant shadow, it’s because they enjoy your company and consider you part of their family.
As professional dog walkers, we know we’re officially “in” when dogs lean against us. While we usually don’t snuggle unless we’re doing dog sitting or overnight pet sitting, we can definitely feel the love when a dog seeks contact with us by leaning up against our legs and inviting us to pet him or her. It’s the ultimate sign of acceptance and friendship!
3. The Power of Eye Contact
While prolonged eye contact can be threatening in the dog world, a loving gaze from your pup is a powerful sign of affection. When your dog looks at you with soft, relaxed eyes, it indicates trust and a deep bond. This eye contact actually increases oxytocin levels in both dogs and humans, strengthening your connection.
Especially while we’re getting to know your dogs, our team takes precautions to avoid any eye contact that could be considered aggressive or threatening but, once we establish a relationship with your dogs, we start to notice them gazing at us and happily interacting with us during visits. It feels great to establish such a special, affectionate bond!
4. Tail Communication
A dog’s tail is a crucial communication tool, and how they wag it can tell you a lot about their feelings. A loose, relaxed tail wagging from side to side is a clear sign of happiness and affection. When the wag is so big that it involves their whole body, from shoulders to tail tip, at a Shakira ‘hips don’t lie’ level intensity, it’s an expression of intense love.
As professional dog walkers and caregivers, we pay attention to the direction of the tail wag. It is said that a tail wagging more to the right generally indicates positive emotions. Reading tail wags may be an art but it’s hard to miss the whole body wags we see when we arrive for dog walks and hikes!
5. Sharing and Gift-Giving
Dogs show love through sharing, which might seem odd to us but is a significant gesture in the canine world. When your dog brings you their favorite toy, they’re not just initiating playtime. They’re sharing their most prized possession with you, which is one of the sweetest and more heartwarming gestures of affection. Some dogs might even try to “gift” you with other objects they find interesting or valuable.
We know exactly what toy your dogs love most when we walk in for visits because it’s the one your dogs go straight to grab. We just know we’re one of their besties when they bring us their favorite stuffy!
The Top 5 Ways Your Dogs Tell Our Team They Love Us
Your dogs have numerous ways of showing their love to our care providers, from exuberant greetings to subtle eye contact. By training our team to understand these signs, we can better appreciate the depth of our bond with our canine clients. We try to remember that each dog is unique and may show affection in their own special ways. We simply pay attention to your dog’s behavior and body language to understand their expressions of love, need for space, or bit of uneasiness. We always meet pets where they are and encourage them to love us slowly, though we love them from day one!
We are accepting new dog walking, dog hiking, and cat sitting clients! New Shoreline Happy Paws clients can create an account. We will be in touch to further discuss your needs and set you, your family, and your cat(s) up for success. Existing clients may book services by logging in to your client profile.
Shoreline Happy Paws serves the following areas of the Connecticut Shoreline:
- Old Saybrook
- Essex, Ivoryton & Centerbrook
- Deep River
- Chester
- Westbrook
- Clinton
- Old Lyme
- East Lyme
- Niantic
Certain Parts and Certain Service Hours in:
- Lyme and Madison
- Waterford, New London, Groton
- Uncasville, Gales Ferry, Mystic, Noank
