Dogs / Getting Started
Every dog owner knows their dog loves them unconditionally. You can see it plainly, in the way they watch you, wait for you, lean into you. The harder question is how we say it back, in a language the
Every dog owner knows their dog loves them unconditionally. You can see it plainly, in the way they watch you, wait for you, lean into you. The harder question is how we say it back, in a language they actually understand. Here are five ways.
Growing up, I was told never to stare down a stray dog. Direct eye contact reads as a threat to an unfamiliar animal and can provoke it. But your own dog is different. When your dog holds your gaze, it isn't a challenge, it's closer to a hug delivered through the eyes. Dogs read a gentle look, a soft voice and easy touch as signs of love, and those quiet moments trigger a release of oxytocin, the same bonding hormone that flows between a mother and child.
If you've ever felt your dog was unusually expressive, trust that instinct. Dogs move their eyebrows, and their faces generally, more around the people they love than around strangers. So instead of the usual quick pat when you greet your dog, let your face do some of the talking. A raised eyebrow, held a beat longer than usual, is about as close as you'll get to a canine greetings card. It tells your dog, in their own language, that they matter.
Leaning against you is one of the clearest signs of trust a dog can offer. It mirrors how humans respond to warmth and physical contact, and it signals that your dog feels safe enough to let their guard down around you. That moment when your dog backs into you while you're cooking or working at your desk isn't random. It's their way of saying I love you, wrapped in body language.
Letting your dog onto your bed is about as close as you can get to telling them they belong to the pack. If allergies or a strict no-dogs-on-the-bed rule get in the way, a few minutes curled up together on the sofa or the floor each day sends much the same message.
Dogs pick up on far more than most owners realise: tone of voice, posture, tension in the face, and a long list of other non-verbal cues. Some research even suggests dogs can detect illness, including cancer, through scent. Being genuinely, calmly yourself is often the clearest way to let your dog read who you are, and they will answer with their own expressions of love. All that's left for you to do is respond in kind.
Article content © Ravi Teja. All rights reserved.
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