Life of George

6 WAYS YOUR DOG IS SAYING ‘I LOVE YOU’

Most humans are not fluent in “dog”, so let me translate some of the ways us canines express our love.

1. Gazing lovingly into your eyes. Oxytocin is released when your dog gazes into your eyes; this exchange makes each participant feel so good. Oxytocin is the same bonding chemical that is released between moms and newborn babies. My soppy English Pointer brother, Nelson will often sit and have long “conversations” gazing into mom’s eyes. He is a bit overdramatic at the best of times, often trying to convince her that he should be an only dog, but most of all, his gaze simply says, “I love you”.

2. We get excited when you come home. Let me explain - for us, our humans are our world. When they walk through the door, it’s like Christmas morning… every time (no matter how long you have been gone). We know our human’s habits and could probably tell you more than them about their bowel movements, what shampoo they use and what they are feeling. We watch and observe them all the time. Please don’t be too hard on us; our excitement is hard to contain.

3. Leaning on you or cuddling. Olivia, my deaf Great Dane sibling, is a big leaner. She often comes along and gently, at first, starts to lean against her favourite human’s legs. Soon all her 65kgs of weight is being shared as she leans in for a cuddle and scratch behind the ears.

4. Bringing you our favourite toy or other ‘gifts’. I always bring mom something as a gesture of my love. These tokens of deep affection can range from my favourite smelly toy to a highly prized dead mole.

5. Sleeping with you or near you. In the wild, dogs would often have travelled and slept together as a pack. The consensus seems to be that dogs don’t want to be separate from you, even in sleep mode. This topic can be controversial, and there are many different opinions on whether your dog should sleep with or near you. Please consult with your behaviourist or vet if you are experiencing problems or want to know what you should do! I can only speak from personal experience; I love being close to my humans.

6. You move, we move. Dogs show their love by following their dog parents around - yes, even to the loo. Keeping you in our sight 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 human experiences this companionship, and each dog has a human to spend their days right beside.

CONTRIBUTED BY:

George. Dictated to his mom, Sarah Swainson, as his typing is terrible.

George is a handsome black lab and the CEO of a brand for dog lovers - Life of George www.lifeofgeorge.co.za.