For the Love of Dogs

Writer/ Kimberly Blaker

find puppie love

In living with and interacting with our dogs, we get to know them well. Despite their inability to talk, we often understand their emotions based on their body language. Scientists now know what dog owners have suspected all along-doga experience a wider range of emotions than scientists once thought.

The dog brain is substantially smaller than the human brain when accounting for body size, so it isn’t as complex as our brain Yet, MRI studies reveal dogs’ brains aren’t much different from humans. MRIs have shown the same sections of both the human and dog brain. Light up based on various types of stimuli, according to a board-certified neurologist, Dr. J.P. McCue, at New York City’s Animal Medical Center, reported in “Dog Brain Facts: Understanding Canine Cognition.”

It’s also been found dogs produce oxytocin, the neurotransmitter and hormone that creates the emotion of love in humans. In fact, research reveals when our dogs stare into our eyes, it activates oxytocin, creating a bond similar to that between a mother and infant.

David Grimm reports on the research of this phenomenon in his article, “How Dogs Stole Our Hearts.” In an Experiment by Takefui Kikusui, and animal behaviorist, dogs and their owners gazed into each other’s eyes their gaze ranged from a few seconds to a couple of minutes. This adds to the growing body of research supporting dogs can feel love and attachment.

Dogs’ brains are fully developed around the age of six months…equivalent to a two and a half-year-old human…humans’ mature fully at the age of 25.

How to read your dog’s feelings.

Joy: Dogs often express this when a family member comes home or a familiar guest comes to visit by running, jumping, waging their tails and lavish kisses. They also express joy when playing by barking or giving a playful bow.

Love and Affection: Dogs may give a nose nudge, make loving eye contact, softly groan and sigh while lying next to you. Some dogs lean against you, give kisses, jumping and rolling onto their backs with a wagging tail.

Shyness, suspicion, fear: Dogs might flatten their ears avoid eye contact tuckering their tail under, cower, pant or shake. Also note dilated glassy eyes, pacing hiding, whining, barking, sneering, nipping or submissive urination.

Distress: When dogs are depressed, they can experience changes in appetite, behavior, sleep patterns and reduced activity levels. Emotionally distressed dogs also show this in their posture with downcast eyes and a low bent back. They might like or shed excessively.

Anger: If your dog has ever ignored you or given you the cold shoulder, there’s a good chance it is mad at you. If you’re doing something that makes your dog particularly angry, the signs may be more prominent. Your dog might take a rigid posture, bark loudly in your direction or make sharp or short barks. This is a warning to stop whatever you’re doing. If your dog begins growling, repeatedly howling with a rising pitch or showing teeth, it’s prepared to attack.

What about hackles? People often think raised hackles indicate a dog is angry or showing aggression. Sometimes that’s the case but raised hackles are an involuntary reaction and most often caused by a host of other emotions. Included are excitement, arousal, fear, shyness, defensiveness or being startled. That said, dogs can bite out of fear, not just anger. The best wy to know the meaning behind the raised hackles is to look at other body languages that indicate what the dog is feeling.

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