Introduction
Dogs have been human companions for thousands of years. The close relationship between humans and dogs is unique in the animal kingdom. But do dogs actually feel love for their owners, or is their affection just a byproduct of domestication? Some key questions about the human-canine bond that this article will address include:
- How did dogs evolve to connect with humans on an emotional level?
- What signs and behaviors indicate a dog’s love?
- How does a dog’s brain respond to interactions with their owner?
- Do dogs feel complex emotions like love and jealousy?
- Can the depth of a dog’s attachment compare to human relationships?
Examining the nature of the human-canine bond through scientific research and anecdotes can provide insight into how dogs may experience love.
Attachment and Bonding
Attachment theory explains the dynamics of long-term relationships between humans. It suggests that a strong emotional and physical attachment to a primary caregiver in our first years of life helps us develop a secure base. This secure base then provides us with the confidence to explore the world and the ability to form healthy relationships later in life.
Research has shown that dogs form similar attachments to their human caregivers as human children do. A study by Marshall-Pescini et al. (2019) demonstrated that dogs show signs of secure attachment when their caregiver is present and signs of distress when separated from them. This parallels patterns seen in human children.
Oxytocin, sometimes called the “love hormone,” plays an important role in bonding and attachment. When dogs interact positively with their owners, such as through petting or cuddling, both exhibit increased oxytocin levels (Petersson, 2017). This hormonal response helps strengthen the human-animal bond.
Overall, research indicates dogs form meaningful bonds with their caregivers similar to human attachment. Oxytocin reinforces this attachment and deepens the human-canine relationship.
Reading Dog Emotions
Dogs have the ability to express a wide range of emotions through body language and vocalizations. According to research published in Dogs functionally respond to and use emotional information from humans, dogs are able to understand and respond appropriately to human emotional expressions. Dogs use visual cues such as facial expressions, body posture and tail positions to convey their own emotions to humans and other dogs.
A wagging tail, for example, does not always indicate happiness or friendliness. A tail held high and wagging back and forth shows alertness, while a tail tucked between the legs signals fear. Facial expressions like snarling or wrinkling the muzzle can display aggression or threatening behaviors. Research has found dogs also produce more facial movements on the right side of their face when interacting with humans. Since the right side of a dog’s brain processes emotions, this suggests they are expressing emotions when looking at humans.
Humans are also able to recognize emotions in dogs through their facial expressions, vocalizations and body language. Studies show humans can identify positive emotions like happiness versus negative ones like anger or fear in dogs at better than chance levels. Experienced dog owners tend to be even better at reading the more subtle emotions and signals of their own dogs.
Helping Behaviors
Dogs often demonstrate helping behaviors towards humans, both in everyday life and in emergency situations. Stories abound of dogs coming to the rescue of their human companions. According to one article, “12 Incredible Hero Dogs That Saved Human Lives,” there are many examples of dogs risking their lives to save humans (https://iheartdogs.com/12-incredible-stories-about-dogs-saving-humans-lives/).
Some of the most dramatic examples involve dogs alerting humans to imminent dangers like fires or health emergencies. But dogs also provide more routine assistance, such as guide dogs for the blind or dogs trained to detect seizures before they happen. Service dogs help people with disabilities live more independent lives. Studies suggest dogs demonstrate empathy towards humans in distress. When a human cries, dogs often approach them soothingly.
The helping behaviors of dogs towards humans suggest an altruistic motivation. While dogs have been bred over thousands of years to cooperate with humans, their helping actions often put themselves at great risk. The fact that dogs demonstrate these behaviors instinctively, without any training or reward, implies a genuine concern for human wellbeing.
Jealousy
Dogs are capable of experiencing jealousy just like humans do. A 2018 study published in Scientific Reports provided evidence that dogs exhibit jealous behaviors when their owners give attention to other dogs. The researchers found that when owners ignored their dogs and interacted with a fake dog instead, the real dogs pushed or touched their owners, snapped at the fake dog, and tried getting between their owner and the object of affection. This jealous behavior was functionally similar to that observed in children in comparable situations.
Another study from 2014 published in PMC also found evidence of jealousy in dogs. When owners ignored their dogs and focused attention on a stuffed dog instead, the real dogs exhibited significantly more jealous behaviors like snapping, pushing between the owner and stuffed animal, and touching/getting close to the owner. The researchers concluded that dogs do get jealous when their human companion directs attention and affection toward another creature.
Grieving
Dogs have demonstrated the ability to grieve the loss of other dogs or human companions. According to a 2022 study published in Scientific Reports, dogs exhibited multiple grief-related responses following the death of a companion dog or owner. These responses included decreased activity, exploring and searching behaviors, vocalizing and barking, changes in appetite, lethargy, and behavioral changes. The severity and duration of grieving behaviors appears related to the strength of the dog’s attachment to the deceased.
Symptoms of grieving in dogs include lethargy, loss of appetite, vocalizing or barking more than usual, anxiety when separated from remaining companions, restlessness, searching behaviors, loss of housetraining, and changes in sleep patterns, according to the VCA Animal Hospitals. Some dogs may even stop playing with toys and seem depressed when they lose a close canine companion or human family member. Just like humans, each dog grieves in their own way. However, providing extra love, attention and support can help grieving dogs through the mourning process.
Empathy
Dogs have been shown to exhibit empathy towards both humans and other animals. Recent research has explored dogs’ capacity for emotional contagion and found evidence that dogs can “catch” human emotions like stress and anxiety (https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01678). Studies using the Dog Emotional Availability (DEA) test have measured dogs’ reactions to human crying and found that dogs will approach crying humans and exhibit submissive, comforting behaviors, suggesting empathy and a desire to help (https://time.com/5344210/dogs-empathy-study/). There is also evidence that dogs display empathic concern towards other animals, especially those they are bonded with. For example, dogs may attempt to comfort or distract other dogs who are in distress.
Overall, research indicates dogs have a basic capacity for empathy, allowing them to pick up on human emotions and attempt to provide comfort. Their empathic responses likely originally evolved to strengthen social bonds between dogs and facilitate cooperation in packs. However, through domestication, dogs have directed their empathic abilities towards humans as well. Their empathy reveals an emotional attunement and desire to alleviate suffering in those they are close to.
Love Hormones
Research has shown that dogs and humans experience a similar hormonal response that creates bonding and affection between parent and child. Dogs produce oxytocin, also known as the “love hormone,” which is associated with pair bonding, social recognition, and attachment in mammals. When owners interact with their dogs through petting, playing, or eye contact, both the human’s and dog’s oxytocin levels increase, strengthening the bond between them (1).
Another study found that when dogs stare into their owners’ eyes, oxytocin levels in both the owner and dog rise. This is the same hormonal response that bonds human parents with their children. Scientists believe this may explain how dogs have become so adept at capturing human hearts over thousands of years of domestication (2).
Beyond oxytocin, dogs also produce dopamine, the neurotransmitter associated with reward and pleasure. When owners pet and play with their dogs, the dog’s brain releases dopamine, reinforcing enjoyment of the interaction. This is similar to the dopamine release humans experience from being with loved ones. The shared dopamine and oxytocin responses help create the profound emotional attachment between dogs and their human families.
(1) https://www.thewildest.com/dog-lifestyle/oxytocin-chemistry-between-people-and-dogs-real
(2) https://www.science.org/content/article/how-dogs-stole-our-hearts
Signs of Love
There are many ways that dogs show affection and bond with their owners, suggesting their capacity for love. Some of the most common signs of a dog’s love include:
- Excited greeting when you come home – Dogs who are closely bonded with their owners will often act extremely excited when their owner returns after an absence, even if it was just a short errand. Their joy at your return is a sign of their strong bond.
- Cuddling and physical contact – Dogs who love their owners will often try to maintain physical closeness and contact, whether it’s snuggling while sleeping or leaning on you. This kind of contact stimulates bonding hormones.
- Playfulness – Playing together helps strengthen relationships between dogs and owners. Dogs who initiate play frequently or bring toys to their owner to play together are showing their affection.
- Gaze – Making eye contact and gazing lovingly at their owner is a sign of attachment, as is watching your every move.
- Licking – Dog licks are often a sign of affection, similar to kisses from humans. Gentle licks on your face or hands show your dog’s fondness.
- Wanting to be near you – Dogs who follow you from room to room or always want to sit with you display a strong bond, as they want to remain close.
Dogs who show several of these loving behaviors are clearly deeply attached to and affectionate towards their owners. While they may not feel love identically to humans, their capacity for bonding and showing devotion points to a meaningful emotional connection.
Conclusion
In summary, there is strong scientific evidence that dogs are capable of feeling love and forming an attachment bond with humans. Research from mutual gazing studies, MRI scans, oxytocin levels and behavioral observations all point to dogs having the biological capacity for love. Through the process of domestication over thousands of years, dogs have evolved to create loving bonds with humans, likely more so than with their own species. Signs like defending and protecting, stranger wariness, separation distress, greeting excitement and responding to emotions indicate a dog’s devotion goes beyond mere dependency. While we can’t definitively prove what emotions dogs experience, the collective research suggests our pets truly care for and feel affection towards us.
Source: https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/lifestyle/can-our-dogs-really-love-us/