Signs that your dog is deeply bonded to you –just like a family member!
The human-dog relationship can be considered one of the strongest relationships that we develop. Several studies cited in this article give us a deeper explanation of these dogs’ feelings and the results are very interesting. One study called Voice-Sensitive Regions in the Dog and Human Brain Are Revealed by Comparative fMR led by Attila Andics at Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest showed that dogs interact with human caregivers in the same way babies do their parents. In times of distress or worry, dogs run to their owners, just like what a child will do if scared.
According to another recent investigation by Mic in partnership with GE tell us that “Not only do dogs seem to love us back, they actually see us as their family. It turns out that dogs rely on humans more than they do their own kind for affection, protection and everything in between.”
So, let’s check out these body language signs that your dog exhibits so we can be so certain that they love us back as a family member.
Leaning
Leaning is a sign of affection and trust. Whenever our dogs feel nervous, they tend to lean on us as an indication that they need you to take them somewhere else or be there for them. You become your dog’s refuge because you are trusted and loved. Only then do dogs feel safe and comfortable.
Yawning
If your dog yawns after you had yawned, then your dog is definitely attached to you. We know that
yawning can be contagious but dogs are only affected by a person they are close to. A recent study called Familiarity bias and physiological responses in contagious yawning by dogs support link to empathy from Teresa Romero and colleagues from the University of Tokyo found that dogs
yawn contagiously, their yawn is not a sign of distress and they are more likely to yawn with someone they are emotionally bonded to.
Looking into your eye
Dogs seek out eye contact from people, more so than they do from other canines. This act of making eye contact is a sure sign that you have formed a special bond. Based on a different study lead by Andics, bonding with caregivers is much more important for dogs than any other pets.
Cuddling after eating
Essentially, dogs do what’s most important for them after eating. Some dogs do whatever they really want to do after meals. This means that if your dog cuddles you after eating, then you are significant to your pup. This fact is written on the book How Dogs Love Us by Gregory Berns.
Raising its eyebrows and shifting their ears
A dog’s facial expression is a powerful indicator in reading the behaviour of a dog. There is a research conducted in Japan and an article entitled Dogs show left facial lateralization upon reunion with their owners wherein it was proven that dogs tend to raise their left eyebrows and/or shift their left ears back if the stimuli was someone they have already bonded to, like their mother. On the other hand, they raise their right eyebrows and/or shift their right ear back if the stimuli were unfamiliar or something that dogs didn’t like.