Do our dogs love us? - Lake County Record-Bee

Dear Val,

How do we know if our dogs love us?

Dear Virginia,

Let’s answer that question with my personal opinion, my professional opinion, some science based information, research studies, speculations, and then incorporate  your gut feeling or what one may feel from their heart.

We will start with the researchers input. They have come up with a simple list of ways you can tell that your dog has strong feelings for you by some of these behaviors and observations that they exhibit.

A) Your dog makes good eye contact and looks longingly into your eyes.

B) Your dog sleeps in your room at will.

C) Your dog checks in on you to see what you are up to.

D) Your dog leans up against you or sits on your feet.

E) Your dog is excited when you get home.

F) Your dog shares his toys and brings them to you.

G) Your dog carry’s your belongings around such as shoes or socks or unmentionables.

I personally believe that love with a new dog needs to be earned and cultivated. From both parties.

Speaking from my professional experience and the hundreds of puppies and dogs and their people I have had the pleasure of observing, I have noticed after a few weeks, they do appear to love and adore their people at an early age. This appears more obvious when there is a process of learning and growing and experiencing things together verses just co-habitating.

I believe the canine human bond starts with the act and process of bonding, trust, and then reciprocal love occurs.

With all the dogs I have had the opportunity to work with, I do ‘love’ these dogs and I think some of them do ‘love’ me back.

Let’s talk about my dog for a minute.  His name is Hooter but he was also nick named ‘Diablo’ as a puppy.  He was so food driven that he was obnoxious and a challenge for me to attempt to truly love him for a good solid six months. Now did he love me?

Absolutely not. I was merely a meal ticket and I could see it clearly in his eyes.

After about two years of battling through training and behavior programs we grew on each other and became best loving buds. 14 years later, and he is the all time love of my life.

Do we love each other now?

Like Lucy and Ricky, Romeo and Juliet, Lady and the tramp.

His love came with time and age and training and activities and boundaries. So it was obvious that we began to like each other when he was about 6 months of age, and he probably started to appear to love me closer.

2. I think this was an unusual circumstance compared most human canine early relationships.

I had another big chocolate lab named Rolo. Our love also formed a little later in life. I did not start training him until he was around 2 years old. One day I was offering a tour to a pet communicator and I asked her what his, (Rolos), thoughts were, and she simply stated, “He wears a big heart for you….”

Now there are variables.  For example rescue dogs or dogs that have been re-homed once or more can seem to take longer to trust and love.  But I have seen some rescue dogs that think their rescue people are angels on earth and they wear big hearts for them.

Trust appears to be the stepping-stone for love under many circumstances.

But what is love from a dog to us.

Is it heartfelt?  We as humans would like to believe so.

Mans best friend, right?  Unconditional love.

Well, there are studies that have shown how dog’s brains respond to their persons voice as well as the smell from their personal belongings which is very interesting and evaluated during a brain study using an MRI test. The testing process began with the dogs slowly trained to enter an MRI scanner using rewards, and after a little over a month, they were able to conduct extensive tests to evaluate how the dogs brains worked when exposed to their persons belongings. What was discovered was there was a good amount of activity in the brain coming from the happy receptors in the presence of the dog owner’s belongings. This lead the researchers to believe the dogs were experiencing pleasure symptoms that could be described as happy or maybe even love.

Well now…What do you think Does your dog LOVE you?

If you have a question about training or behavior, please email me at HappyLabLady77@Yahoo.com

Val S Elliott CPDT Behavior Coach

Make it a Pawsitive Day!

Wags of Wisdom:

A dog may be the only living creature that loves you more then he loves himself.

The Daily Dog:

Koda is the daily dog and he is actually one of my very good friends dogs that I thought would never have a dog. So I am extra pleased to portray Koda and Virginia in my article that also submitted the above feature question.

“My dog Koda is special because he assumes that everyone is a friend. He likes to play, any kind of play, and everything is play. He loves the game of hide and seek for shoes. He loves hiking on a good trail that horses have been on recently. He occasionally brings treasures back from hiking secretly tucked away in his cheek. Other then hiking together, he enjoys the challenge of a good puzzle, and he makes me laugh. We are in class together and it feels like the blind leading the blind. He is my Zen teacher and helps to keep me grounded, and patient, and keeping the big picture in mind. He does not hold a grudge, he is quick to forgive and he never retaliates. But he is barking at my neighbor right now. Why is he barking at my neighbor? Ok gotta go……”

If you would like to send a cute photo with a description or short story about your favorite furry friend, please send it to HappyLabLady77@yahoo.com

Adblock test (Why?)

"love" - Google News
June 18, 2021 at 08:10PM
https://ift.tt/2TGM6bC

Do our dogs love us? - Lake County Record-Bee
"love" - Google News
https://ift.tt/39HfQIT
Shoes Man Tutorial
Pos News Update
Meme Update
Korean Entertainment News
Japan News Update

Bagikan Berita Ini