11 Surprising And Secret Ways Your Dogs Says “I Love You”

#1 Staring Into Your Eyes

Dog experts call it "hugging with your eyes." When a dog looks at you while the two of you are playing with one another or just cuddling, oxytocin is released. It's the same hormone that helps new mothers bond with their babies.

#2 Yawning When You Yawn

Dogs tend to follow their owners behaviors. Just like when a person yawns, and it's contagious, it is said that the follower yawn shows empathy for the yawner as it sees that as a sort of sympathy movement. It's impossible to measure if dogs are empathetic, but it's possible that a dog yawning the same time as a human happens because the dog has bonded with that person.

#3 Leaning Directly On You

The song "Lean on Me" is all about offering support and dogs crave that same kind of security. Sometimes a dog will lean on a human because he is anxious, wants you to do something, or take him somewhere. But leaning is also a symbol of affection.

Even if your dog is leaning on you out of pure nervousness, he is still doing it because he thinks of you as someone who can protect him and keep him safe.

#4 Cuddling With You After Eating

Dog lovers know that pups are motivated by food. Once a dog eats all its food, his next action can signify what's most important to him besides eating.

Sometimes your dog may have to do his "business" right after a meal, but watch how he reacts in the morning and at night. If he's snuggling up with you after one of these meals, then there's some definite puppy love on his end.

#5 Lifting Or Wiggling Eyebrows

We think we can read a dog by its tail, but its facial expressions are a way more powerful indicator. A recent study showed that when seeing their parent, the dogs immediately lifted their eyebrows (especially their left), and when they saw a stranger there was a lot less facial movement, except for movement of the right brow.

#6 Left Is Love, Right Is Caution

When the dog saw an item they knew and had bonded with, the dogs shifted their left ear back and their left eye. But if it was an item they didn't like, their right ear shifted. According to the study, this suggests the dog is more reserved when they are engaging someone they don't know or something they disapprove of.

#7 Watching You Leave Calmly

If your dog panics when you leave, it's more of a sign that they have separation anxiety than that they love you.

If a dog goes into his crate or is accepting of you leaving, i.e. they're calm when you leave, it means your dog loves and trusts you and is confident that you will return.

#7 Freaking Out When You Return

We all feel special when we come home and we're greeted by our dog with his tail wagging, a favorite toy in tow, and he's jumping all over the place like a crazy kangaroo.

And it's a good thing we like it, because it's a very distinctive way a dog shows you his love for you and it's love in its truest form.

#9 Sleeping In Bed With You

Another way to figure out whether your dog loves you is observing where he likes to sleep. It's part of a big controversy, but if your dog wants to sleep in your bed even if you don't allow it he definitely loves you.

If a dog wants to sleep on your bed, it's a good test of his loyalty because he doesn't want to be separated from the pack.

#10 Bringing You A Toy

If your pup brings you his favorite, most coveted toy, it doesn't just mean your dog wants to play, though that would be nice..

Although wanting to play with you is a sign of affection in itself, when your dog brings you his favorite ball, it may also mean he thinks of you as his pack leader. Playing with him after he brings you his favorite toy bonds him even closer to you.

#11 Enjoying Time Together

The more time you spend with your dog, the more he comes to love and trust you. From just talking to him all the time or taking him for walks or car rides, it all makes your doge love you more and more because he feels bonded to you.

#12 Enjoying Your Love

Do you love your dog? According to specialists, dogs can actually innately sense whether or not you love them. In the same way they sense fear or that oncoming thunderstorm.

So if you don't love them, you're not getting it back in return!