6 ways your dog say "I woof you" in their language!

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, let’s talk about how your dog could be saying “I love you” in their language

1. Firstly, gazing into your eyes

Oxytocin is released when pups gaze into their owner’s eyes. It is the same chemical released between moms and babies which helps them bond. This process makes each participant sharing these loving gazes feel good. Nelson, my soppy English Pointer, will often sit and have a long “conversation” with me. He gazes into my eyes and whines as he tells me how he should have been any only dog and all the ways his life is so very hard, from the daily walks on the beach to the soft couch to rest his head-on. Most of all he gazes into my eyes simply say, “I love you”.

2. Leaning on you or cuddling

Olivia, our deaf Great Dane, is a big leaner. She often comes along and gently, at first, starts to lean against my legs. Soon all her 65kgs of weight is being shared with me as she leans in for a cuddle and scratch behind the ears.

3. Excited when you come home

The excitement levels when I get home are always on the highly enthusiastic side. My dogs cannot contain their excitement to see me. It could be a half an hour trip or a long day away, they greet with excitement and enthusiasm of a long lost person. It’s so good for the ego.

4. Bringing you their favourite toy or other ‘gifts’

George always brings me something as a gesture of love. These tokens of affection can range from his favourite smelly toy to a dead mole. This gesture apparently confirms that your dog views you as his/her their pack-leader and this is an outpouring of their love. Appreciating that a dead mole is a love offering from George, it should be viewed in the same high regards as my husband welcoming me home with a diamond in his hand. The dead mole is a more likely scenario.

5. Sleeping with you or near you

In the wild dogs would have travelled, hunted, and slept together as a pack. The consensus seems to be is that dogs don’t want to be separate from you, even in sleep mode.

As new dog parents, George and Nelson, slept into the kitchen, we ignored the whines and followed the “rules” of what we had been told was good dog parenting and boundaries. It was only on the arrival of Lily, our little blond lab, that things started to change. She was very sick and we had to monitor her at night. As time went on Lily become a regular fixture to our bed and soon each dog had a bed in our room. Needless to say, we invested in a really big bed when Olivia, our deaf Great Dane arrived.

This can be controversial and there are many different opinions on whether your dogs sleep with or near you. Please consult with your behavioural vet if you are experiencing problems. I can only speak from personal experience, and I love our dogs being close to us.

6. You move, they move

Have you ever quickly gotten up to quickly fetch something? Whenever I do this all the dogs immediately get up and follow me around, even the loo has no boundaries. Dogs show their love by following their dog parents around. Keeping you in their site is a way of protecting you and gives them a sense of security.

There are very few things that trump the unconditional love of a dog. I hope that each of you gets to experience this kind of love this Valentine’s day.