How Do Dogs Show Affection? 20 Ways Dogs Show Love to Humans | Pupford
Kisses, belly rubs, ear scratches, snuggling – there are a lot of ways that we can show our dogs affection.
But how do dogs show affection to us humans?!
We talk a lot about how dogs communicate with humans and each other, but we haven’t really touched on how dogs show affection and love.
Today we’re going to be sharing the most common ways dogs show affection to humans. But we want to turn it into a game! Keep track of how many of these behaviors your dog does towards you and your family – at the end of this article, we’ll use that number to reveal the truth about how much your dog loves you!
Related Reading: How to Bond With Your Dog
20 WAYS DOGS SHOW HUMANS AFFECTION & LOVE
Before we dive into all the signs of affection you can get from your dog, let's do a quick list. Here are 20 ways dogs show affection to humans:
- Tail wags
- Acting like your shadow
- Giving kisses
- Jumping to greet you
- Initiating play
- Sleeping near you
- Caring for you when you're sick
- Leaning their body weight into you
- Rubbing their face on you
- Smiling
- Sniffing you
- Getting excited when they hear your name
- Trusting you to "fix" their toys
- Herding you
- Staring into your eyes
- Bringing you gifts
- Sensing your stress or sadness
- Cuddling
- Nudging you with their nose
- Asking for belly rubs
Alright, now let's dive into each of these signs of affection and love below. ❤️
1. TAIL WAGS
A dog’s tail is a key piece of reading your dog’s body language, as they really communicate a lot through their tail position and movement. A rule of thumb is that if your dog’s tail is loose, they’re relaxed and happy. So if you see your dog wagging their tail in a way that means their whole hind end is wagging along with it – they’re showing you how excited they are to see you.
2. ACTING LIKE YOUR SHADOW
Feel like you can’t go to the bathroom without company? Always feeling like your dog is directly where you want to step next? While it can seem annoying (especially the bathroom one), it’s your dog’s way of saying they feel safe and comfortable with you, so they’d rather be with you than anywhere else.
3. GIVING KISSES
Licking is an instinctive behavior in dogs that can have a few different meanings. But one of them is showing affection, as it’s a sign of intimacy and bonding. However, if your dog is licking themselves a lot, that’s a different behavior that may need to be discussed with your vet.
4. JUMPING TO GREET YOU
Dogs jump to greet you because they are excited to see you. Also, puppies lick their mother’s faces and eyes to show affection, which is what your dog may be trying to do by jumping up on you. We know that jumping is often an unwanted behavior, but remember, your dog thinks they’re showing love – so be sure not to punish them for it. Instead, teach them what you want them to do instead (sit, go to a place, etc.) and show them love in return for doing it.
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5. INITIATING PLAY
If your dog sees you and immediately springs into “play” mode, it’s an instinctual way to show affection. Yes, even some “rough” playing is a sign of affection and can be a normal part of your dog’s socialization. Just be sure to maintain control and channel it into positive games like tug of war with clear boundaries as to what is and is not acceptable during play.
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6. SLEEPING NEAR YOU
Dogs show affection by having a relaxed posture around the person they love – and what’s more relaxed than sleeping? When your dog is asleep they are at their most vulnerable (in terms of instincts), so to sleep near you shows that they trust and love you. Your dog sleeping in your bed can even be a sign of affection!
7. CARING FOR YOU WHEN YOU’RE SICK
Ever get that feeling that your dog “knows” when you’re sick? Well, they do. If your dog is extra snuggly or wants to be in contact with you while you’re sick or healing from an injury, they’re caring for you the same way they’d be caring for a member of their pack.
8. LEANING THEIR BODY WEIGHT INTO YOU
When your dog leans on you physically, they’re also leaning on you emotionally. It’s also how they ask for your attention, so be sure to take a moment and acknowledge your dog by showing some love in return.
9. AND RUBBING THEIR FACE ON YOU
Your dog will rub their face on you to “claim” you as their own. Not in a possessive way, but in an affectionate way. If your dog rubs their face on a lot of different things as if they’re itchy, though, that might be a sign of skin irritation.
10. SMILING
Just because a dog shows their teeth doesn’t mean their smiling, which you can learn more about here. But if your dog is genuinely smiling, it can mean they are content and enjoying themselves. Therefore, your dog smiling at you means that you make them happy.
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11. SNIFFING YOU… IN WEIRD PLACES
We may not always talk about it, but it’s a fact of dog parent life that our dogs have sniffed us in some… interesting places. But our dogs sniffing our crotches and intimate places is actually an affectionate greeting, like a human handshake. Learn more about why dogs sniff butts (including ours) here!
12. GETTING EXCITED WHEN THEY HEAR YOUR NAME
Just as dogs can learn words like “treat” and “walk,” they learn the names of people that mean the most to them. If your name is one of those that gets your dog’s attention and gets them excited, it means you’re one of their favorite people!
13. TRUSTING YOU TO “FIX” THEIR TOYS
Unfortunately, sometimes our dog’s toys don’t hold up to their playing and chewing. If your dog brings their broken toys to you to “fix,” it means they trust you with their most prized possessions.
14. HERDING YOU
Certain breeds have it in their nature to “herd” their loved ones in an effort to keep them from wandering off. If your dog does that to you, it’s essentially their way of saying “don’t go anywhere because I love you!”
15. STARING INTO YOUR EYES
Do you and your dog stare lovingly into each other’s eyes? Making and maintaining eye contact can show that your dog is attached to you and showing you love. This is often accompanied by other signs of affection, but alone is a good sign that your dog respects you.
Just be sure they aren’t exhibiting any tense body language, like a rigid tail, as that can have a totally different meaning.
16. BRINGING YOU GIFTS
Favorite toys, new sticks from the yard, even backyard prey – our dogs will proudly bring their loved ones presents. If your dog wants to share things that are exciting to them with you (even if they’re disgusting to you), it means they want to share that happiness with you and earn your approval and praise by showing you what they captured.
Related: Best Dog Gifts & Gifts for Dog Lovers
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17. SENSING YOUR STRESS OR SADNESS
Dogs have an amazing ability to sense when you are stressed or sad. In that situation, they show affection by trying to comfort you. They’ll snuggle you a little extra, put their head near yours, and keep an eye (and paw) on you until you cheer up. What did we ever do to deserve dogs and their unconditional love?!
18. CUDDLING
Do you love those nights when you cuddle up with your dog to watch a movie or read a book? They probably love it just as much! Your dog snuggling up to you shows they love you and want to be close to you.
19. NUDGING YOU WITH THEIR NOSE
Has your dog nose nudged you? Maybe you’ve been on a work call and you feel that wet nose on your leg. Or maybe you’re minding your business after a long day when they jump on the couch and nudge your shoulder. Nose nudges are a way to ask for attention and affection, especially when done in order to get more contact from you.
20. ASKING FOR BELLY RUBS
Dogs will roll onto their back and expose their bellies when they feel relaxed (if accompanied by other relaxed body language). If they’re doing so in a way that invites a belly rub, they’re not only asking for attention but showing they love and trust you enough to be in a vulnerable position around you.
SO HOW MUCH DOES YOUR DOG LOVE YOU? A QUICK QUIZ
Remember how we asked you to tally up all the signs of affection from this list that your dog shows to you? Time to put that number to the test.
RECAP OF HOW DOGS SHOW AFFECTION & LOVE TO HUMANS
While it can seem easy to know if another human loves you, we often wonder if our dogs love us. While they can't say it to us out loud, dogs show affection in many ways! Again, here's a recap of 20 ways dogs show affection to humans:
- Tail wags
- Acting like your shadow
- Giving kisses
- Jumping to greet you
- Initiating play
- Sleeping near you
- Caring for you when you're sick
- Leaning their body weight into you
- Rubbing their face on you
- Smiling
- Sniffing you
- Getting excited when they hear your name
- Trusting you to "fix" their toys
- Herding you
- Staring into your eyes
- Bringing you gifts
- Sensing your stress or sadness
- Cuddling
- Nudging you with their nose
- Asking for belly rubs
Does your dog have any other unique ways they show their love? We’d love to hear about it in the comments below!
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