Can my dog understand when I tell him I love him?

Humans are a huge fan of the phrase "I love you," and we often use it as a phrase towards people that we are highly fond of and feel close to. It is a way of showing someone just how much you care. 

Saying that you love someone is not the only way to show the love. Many times, your loved one can tell exactly what you feel towards them by just giving a simple look and nothing more. It is almost as if they can sense the love. When you consider this, is it really so hard to believe that dogs can sense that you love them? But how can we know?

Signs Your Dog Feels The Love

We have all stared at our dogs before and oftentimes found them looking right back. When this happens, we are usually thinking to ourselves, "Why is my dog being so weird...they won't stop staring at me." There is a perfectly reasonable explanation for this. They are staring at you because they love you. They can sense when they are loved and they will want you to know they feel the same way. 

If you are for some reason ever doubtful of your four-legged friends love for you, check out these signs. Look out for that staring we went over earlier. This is basically your dog just admiring you and they probably won't stop. Another sign to look out for is that they will wag their tails. If you talk or even come near them, they are going to be so ecstatic and will get themselves into a frenzy. 

After this, they may even start jumping, so you will want to watch out for that one so they don't knock you over with their love. Lastly, they may start licking. Not like they are cleaning themselves, we mean they will start licking you! In household pups, this is a sign of affection, so be sure to remember that the next time you refuse their kisses.

Body Language

If you want to know if your pooch knows you care, watch for:

Other Signs

Some more signs that your pooch is full of love include:

The History of Dogs Understanding Our Love

Back in the day, dogs were not always domesticated. They came from the wolf lineage and from there, started evolving into the pups we know and love today. It has been widely studied that humans began to see the wolves as a sort of companion and started sheltering and feeding them in exchange for help with their hunting. This led to a companionship between the wolves and humans. 

Over time, they evolved into the domesticated pups we know and love today. Because of this, humans and dogs now have very easy and loving relationships. 

As far as the history of dogs loving us goes, it probably began way back then, as soon as humans and pups started helping one another out. A bond was formed between two species, and that bond has carried us here into a time where more people own dogs than not and that is the reason that we crave their companionship and their pure love for us. 

We accept this as a standard way of life now, but sometimes people still question if dogs can feel anything at all. While that may seem strange to us, some people are just not good at reading the signs.

The Science of Our Pups Knowing We Love Them

When you think about love, more often than not you will consider it a feeling; an emotion. It is just the way we feel. Love is actually just the word used for something so much more exciting. 

When it comes to love, it is actually a bit more scientific than we thought. There are certain chemicals that are activated when you start to feel love towards another being. With dogs, these feelings are not necessarily harder to convey. Dogs can sense your love towards them and will react to it as such. Dogs are simple creatures who just want to be loved.

You may find it interesting to note that dogs are some of the only animals that share the love hormone, "oxytocin" with us. This hormone is what bonds family members and partners together. When you stare into your dog's eyes, you both experience this hormonal release, drawing you closer together!

Training Your Dog to Understand Your Love

Okay, so you can't train your dog to love you, but that does not mean they cannot be persuaded into thinking you are the best person ever. When it comes to your puppy pal, they are pretty simple. They become attached fairly quickly and they will certainly remember who it is that cares for them and gives them food, baths and even takes them for nice, long walks. 

As you know, dogs are the worlds purest creatures and they just want to give love and receive it back. Here are some ways to ensure your dog fully understands your love for them.

This may seem simple, but one of the most important things to keeping your pup happy is to genuinely take care of them in the best sense possible. If you love your dog, you are going to do everything you possibly can for them. Even things like feeding them a treat when they've been good or taking them on walks after you have been gone to work all day have an effect. 

These things may seem simple, but oftentimes people let the stresses of work spill over into playtime. This can affect your pup and make them feel not so welcomed or loved. Another great way to show your love is to brush your furry friend. This is important, especially with our long-haired friends because they need frequent brushing to stay nice and clean. If you just take 20 minutes out of each day to groom your pup, they will truly appreciate it and love you even more for it. 

All of these different actions you take can really show your dog how you feel. They will be able to sense that you are taking care of them and that you really do love them. 

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