Did you know dogs lick us to show affection? If you have a dog, you know that you would do anything for it. For example, it's so difficult to get mad when they do something wrong, like chewing up your shoes or homework, and you can’t help but forgive them. Dogs are devoted to our everyday happiness and we love and cherish them, but does our dog love us as much as we love them?
Researchers in Atlanta, Georgia, at Emory University, are diving in with an MRI to determine the emotional state of dogs. According to Ryan Llera, "A dog’s caudate nucleus was activated most significantly when the dog actually smelled someone they knew." To determine this, they scanned dogs’ brains after exposing them to different orders of different humans and dogs to see if there were any changes in the brain function. They used odors for this because dogs heavily rely on their sense of smell. In fact, smell is a dog’s strongest sense. The experiment discovered that when dogs smell familiar things, they respond more enthusiastically when they smell humans than other dogs. This is similar to how we humans respond when we see a photo of someone we love.
There are many other ways your dog indicates that they love you. As discussed in Newsweek, “They react with joy to our scent and respond to the tone of our voice. Science proves that part of the canine brain is associated with positive emotions and they do, indeed, feel love for their human companions.” Something that shows that your dog loves you even more than going for a ride in the car or eating a big, juicy steak is if your dog follows you, makes eye contact while calm, and wants to cuddle. These are just a few signs that indicate that your dog loves you unconditionally.
Sources:
Chicago, Paws. “Canine Senses: Paws Chicago.” PAWS Chicago | Chicago’s Largest No Kill Humane and Adoption Organization, 2023, www.pawschicago.org/news-resources/all-about-dogs/doggy-basics/canine-senses#:~:text=Smell,more%20powerful%20than%20a%20human’s.
Cohut, Maria. “How Dogs Contribute to Your Health and Happiness.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, 2023, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322868#_noHeaderPrefixedContent.
Kelley, Tracey L. “Take over Trivia Night with These Fun Facts about Dogs.” Daily Paws, Daily Paws, 29 June 2022, www.dailypaws.com/living-with-pets/pet-owner-relationship/facts-about-dogs.
Llera, Ryan. “Does My Dog Love Me?: VCA Animal Hospital: VCA Animal Hospitals.” Vca, 2023, vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/does-my-dog-love-me#:~:text=They%20react%20with%20joy%20to,love%20for%20their%20human%20companions.
Anglesey, Anders. “Hearts Melt over Dog Who ‘Fell in Love’ after Finding Soulmate on Vacation.” Newsweek, Newsweek, 9 Aug. 2023, www.newsweek.com/hearts-melt-dog-fell-love-finding-soulmate-vacation-1818532.