Judy H. Wright, in her work on the loss of a pet, stated that humans made the best deal in history with dogs: we give them the space and love we have to spare, and in return, they give us everything.
That we love dogs is beyond debate, but some people still wonder: do dogs love humans?
Emotional Connections with Dogs
From a biochemical perspective, dogs seem to meet a series of conditions that allow us to answer affirmatively.
In 2017, an interesting study was conducted comparing food with praise. Yes, just like that.
Researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) on 15 awake dogs. This process allows the observation of brain activity by measuring the amount of blood flow in different regions at any given moment.
They compared the response of specific brain areas to the stimulus of food versus verbal approval from their owner.
The dogs were also placed in a maze (nothing too complicated) where they could choose between food and their owner, who rewarded them verbally and with petting.
In most cases, the dog showed a greater response and preferentially chose its owner over food.
It is true that this experiment has a simple criticism: the dog may associate its owner with food. After all, they are the ones who have been feeding them for years.
Everyone is free to believe what they want. We know which option we prefer to believe.
Some of the most popular studies have focused on oxytocin. This is a hormone produced in the brain, commonly known as the “love hormone” because it induces feelings of satisfaction, calm, and security.
It has been proven that oxytocin levels in a baby and its mother increase when they look into each other’s eyes. This positive feedback strengthens their connection and creates a strong emotional bond.
Because at that age, babies can only look and not much else; it’s not like they’re going to make you a macaroni necklace.
The Japanese researcher Takefumi Kikusui, a dog enthusiast, wanted to test the same concept with these animals. He collected urine samples from various pets (and their owners) before and after they spent thirty minutes together.
Both the animals and their owners showed an increase in oxytocin levels. Furthermore, this increase was quantitatively related to the amount of time they had spent looking into each other’s eyes.
Fun fact: Some people who raised wolves also participated. In these cases, there was no increase in oxytocin in these pairs.
Oxytocin not only supports the theory that dogs love us, but it may also have been essential in the domestication of wolves into dogs.
Dogs Love Us; Wolves, Not So Much
Oxytocin reduces stress and strengthens social bonds. Those wolves that started producing higher concentrations of oxytocin when interacting with humans would have had better relationships and a more optimal symbiosis.
Likewise, humans who lived with these dogs also changed. It’s doubtful that looking into a crocodile’s eyes would have caused the same oxytocin boost.
In another study, researchers directly tested puppies from both dogs and wolves and their response to humans.
Wolf pups were raised in homes with humans, while their dog counterparts were raised by their mothers, with their siblings, and with minimal human contact.
However, when observing their responses to humans, the dog puppies maintained greater eye contact and were more attracted to people than the wolf pups.
We also have the charming detail that dogs outperform wolves in one thing: greater eyebrow movement. This allows them to have greater expressiveness and better communication.
During the transformation from wolves to dogs, their genetics changed, not only to tolerate and love humans but also to be able to show it more clearly.
We talk more about these behavior topics in the article on canine genetics and its influence on behavior.
Ways Dogs Show Love
A dog’s body language is simple. Even with their natural cleverness and playfulness, they are transparent animals that don’t overcomplicate social interactions. Dogs and their language of love, the way they express affection, is quite obvious.
- Eye contact. As we mentioned earlier, one of the most significant ways dogs show love is by looking into your eyes. While wolves see eye contact as a challenge or a sign of hostility, dogs use it to express affection. When this happens, oxytocin is released, strengthening the bond between both.
- Why do dogs follow us? Following a person is their way of showing they enjoy their company. They associate us with positive things, which is why they want to be near us.
- Why do dogs lick us? Licking is one of their most basic ways of showing affection and attachment. Of course, sometimes they just find something delicious on your skin, but most of the time, it’s an act of love.
- Physical contact. Not just licking, but physical touch in general is a sign of trust and comfort. This could be sitting on your lap while you’re distracted or even sleeping next to you.
- Tail wagging. This is the most obvious sign of excitement—but be careful! Tail wagging is not always a sign of happiness. It simply means a dog is stimulated, which could be either positive or negative. This is why misinterpretations can happen, such as assuming two dogs wagging their tails wildly must be getting along.
- Playing. Bringing you toys or initiating games in different ways, like barking to get you to chase them, is another sign of affection. Dogs play to interact with you.
Showing love to your dog is just as simple. Do they want to play? Play with them. Take them for a walk, scratch them, give them treats.
Even something as simple as talking to them (they may not fully understand, but they try) while looking into their eyes sends a message of connection.
Most likely, these are all things you were already doing naturally.
Humans tend to overcomplicate things, but dogs don’t, and forming an emotional connection with them is beautifully honest. And if, besides loving your dog, you also want to love their genetics, the Koko Genetics DNA Test can help with that.