How Does My Dog Know I Love It?

There's no doubt dogs and humans understand each other perfectly and build relationships full of affection. But since we're not the same species, it's normal to have some doubts.

One that worries many owners is being able to know whether our dog understands that we love it. We're not entirely sure whether our displays of affection reach it the way we intend. Can my dog know I love it? We explain below.

Expressing Affection in Humans

People, like dogs, are social and sociable animals. This leads us to build emotional bonds of varying intensity with our own kind. We can show our affection verbally, meaning directly expressing our feelings through words.

But it's also possible to show affection nonverbally. Hugs, kisses, or pets are another common way to communicate to another person how we feel about them. When we're with our dog, even though it's not human, we reproduce these same behaviors.

Do Dogs Like Our Displays of Affection?

The truth is we need to accept that dogs don't show their love the same way we do. But they love us so much that they tolerate and put up with our quirks in ways they'd never allow from another dog. Our hugs don't carry the same meaning for the dog as they do for us. Kisses, even less so.

In fact, quite a few dogs try to discreetly pull away, as if trying not to offend, when we go in to shower them with kisses. If your dog is like this, it's best to hold back and find another way to show it affection. Or at least avoid kisses on especially sensitive areas, like its nose or face, if you notice it always pulls away or tries to.

What they might like is us using affectionate words toward them. They won't understand exactly everything we say, but they do understand the tone. They pick up that it's something good. In fact, words of praise are used as a reward when we want to reinforce a good behavior, exactly the same as if it were an edible treat.

How to Show Your Dog That You Love It

So, if our usual displays of physical affection aren't understood by our dog the way we'd like, how can we make it clear how much we love it? In short, we could say it comes down to treating it like a dog. Although this phrase might sound negative, it really just means respecting its nature.

First, treat it with love. Affection comes through, and the dog senses it. Then, focus on ensuring its wellbeing. This means not just meeting its basic needs for shelter, food, exercise, socialization, or training. The dog needs to feel bonded to its caretaker, and that means dedicating quality time to it. For example:

• Walk with it and leave your phone at home. Simply walk together somewhere it really enjoys.
• Play whatever it enjoys, like fetching and returning a ball, running, or playing tug-of-war.
• A grooming session like brushing or a good bath, if these are activities it enjoys, help strengthen the bond, benefiting both of you.
• Share a nap, since dogs love keeping us company — even better if it can be right next to you. Let's not forget we're its main point of reference.
• Massages with your hand or a rubber grooming glove can be very relaxing for the dog.
• An occasional edible treat, without overdoing it, is another good way to give your dog special attention it'll understand as good treatment.

Really, any shared activity works, since what the dog perceives is that you're with it, paying attention to it, caring for it, and worried about its wellbeing. This strengthens the bond of trust, and that connection doesn't care about species.

The Importance of Canine Training

We've pointed out some activities we can do with our dog to show it affection. All of them make sense, since we ourselves would understand them as displays of affection. From someone who loves us, we might also expect a massage, a walk, a box of chocolates, or a board game session.

But there's still another action through which a dog can sense our love, even if it doesn't seem like it at first. That's training. Still not valued enough by many owners, training a dog is the key to good coexistence, and it gives it the tools to feel calm in our human world.

Dedicating time to plan training sessions, spending a few minutes a day fully focused on our dog, rewarding it for its achievements and showing them off, is also a good way to convey how much we love it — the same as making an effort to learn canine psychology to communicate better.