If you have ever looked deeply into your doggo’s eyes and known without a doubt that love lives there, you’re probably right. And any pet parent will tell you that the feeling is more than mutual. Because we’re human we often use our words to express ourselves, and speaking from personal experience I can confirm that I tell my dog no less than 50 times a day “I love you”. But it never actually occurred to me to wonder if she understands me. I assumed the thwap of the tail was confirmation, her non-verbal “love you back”, but I also know that you can say lots of things to get that tail thwapping. “Walk”, “potty”, “hungry”, and “Uber Eats” will all elicit the same reaction.
A Dog’s Heart Rate Jumps With Love
The folks at Canine Cottages in the UK wanted to do a little research into whether there’s more going on when you say I love you to your pooch. So they did what any good researchers would do, and hooked up some willing pups with special heart rate monitor collars. They collected data on various things such as what happens to their bpm (beats per minute) when their beloved owners tell them those 3 magic words: I love you. Turns out, the doggos heart rates jumped an average of 46%, from a normal bpm of around 67 to a whopping 98! Down boy! (1, 2)
A Dog’s Heart Rate Calms With Love
Through their intensive doggy research, they were able to confirm a few other things too. A great way to calm Fido down is just to cuddle them. A lot like a little kid, dogs just want love and attention. So if you have a hyper pup, or just want to calm the energy in the room, you be the big spoon. Curl up with them, rub their belly, and you’ll likely find that you’ve become much calmer in the process too. (1)
Your Dog’s Heart Rate Mirrors Your Love
It turns out that your heart rate actually changes too when you interact with your pup, but you probably already knew that. On average, an owner’s heart rate jumps more than 10 percent when they see their pooch after being away for a while. And once again… being one of those dog parents who are wrapped around their furbaby’s right paw, I can confirm that I do get a little excited when I see my four-legged.
Changes in heart rate aside, there are plenty of visible ways that our dogs show their love for us, too. If your dog brings you their favorite toy, that is a sign of deep respect. Their toys are their wealth, and they are telling you they trust you with their most important belongings.
The other side of that coin is if they destroy your stuff, that too is a sign of love. Puppies, dogs with separation anxiety, and other conditions too, sometimes love to chew the socks and shoes of their owners (among other things). The stuff that smells like you is exactly what they’re craving. So by eating your sweaty gym socks, Fido is getting closer to you. Deepening the bond you share, by wrecking your stuff. (1)
It’s a complex dichotomy, the expression of Rover’s love.
