5 Adorable Dog Behaviors That Prove Your Pooch Loves You

Dog behaviors are unique, sometimes complicated, and always keep us guessing. Here are some adorable behaviors every pet parent loves to see in their cozy canine.

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Tilting their heads, bringing us toys, leaning on us/sitting on our feet, staring at us, pawing at us.

According to experts, our dogs’ behavior around us really does have meaning behind it. As the mom of two adorable pups, it’s always interesting to see what kind of cute, or not so cute, behavior will show itself next.

Dog behaviors can change throughout the day and knowing how to interpret our cozy canine’s actions can help us to know how he is feeling and what he needs.

Are they as happy to see us as we are to see them? What are they thinking?

Sometimes it’s obvious what our dogs need or want. But other times, what they are really thinking is still a mystery to us.

After learning about these adorable dog behaviors and what they mean, you will better understand what your furry friend is actually trying to tell you.

This post is all about adorable dog behaviors and what they mean.

Tilting Their Head // Dog Behaviors Explained

Have you ever been talking to your precious pup and he looks at you with those big, black, marble-shaped eyes and tilts his head? We know the only reason for this cute little head tilt is that they adore us and hinge on every word we say, right?

Well, not always. Studies show that there may be more to it than just that.

Experts say that some dogs tilt their heads to show interest in what we’re saying. Others say it alters the position of the ears, helping them determine where a sound is coming from.

Other times this happens when our dogs hear a new sound. Or when we say a trigger word that he understands or excites him, like “eat”, “outside”, or “treat”.

Head tilts often work the same way a human nod does. The head tilt is an indication that your pup is listening to you.

They May Tilt Their Head To Hear Better

A dog’s ear flaps cover the ear canal. This can interfere with sound and the ability to locate where the sound is coming from.

To remedy this, dogs lift their ear flaps and tilt their heads. Sometimes a simple change of head position can help dogs pinpoint the exact location of the noise.

A dog’s ears act as little built-in antennas. They can hear sounds that are four times farther away than we can. Their ears will perk up in an attempt to figure out how far away a sound is and where it is coming from.

He then gauges the sound to see if it’s familiar, like a voice he recognizes, and the frequency or pitch.

And yes, according to experts, our cozy canines do react to our high-pitched doggie talk.

They hear our voice and try to figure out our tone. Are we happy with them? Are they in trouble?

And, in these adorable dog behaviors, they tilt their little heads to access, then act accordingly once they figure it all out.

Head Tilting May be a Sign of Empathy

Our fur babies love us. They are in touch with everything that goes on in their human family and can immediately tell when something is wrong. Empathy can play a huge role in dog behaviors and the head-tilt can be a way of expressing that empathy.

Experts believe that our dogs can understand our emotional state. If we’re feeling bad they know it and will be by our side, making sure we’re ok.

We often turn to our canines for comfort when we’re feeling sad. Staring into those big brown eyes makes us feel as if they understand us and truly care.

Of course, we can’t know exactly what our dogs are feeling, but they often act in empathetic ways that weren’t taught.

Using the Head Tilt to Improve Vision

According to a study by Stanley Coren, Ph.D., dogs tilt their heads in order to move their muzzles out of the way. This dog behavior helps them to see our facial expressions. They need to know what we want and how we feel.

Try holding your fist in front of your nose. This gives you an idea of what it’s like for dogs to view the world with a muzzle.

By tilting their heads, our canine companions can better position their eyes towards what they are trying to focus on.

Health Concerns Regarding the Head Tilt

Although this adorable head tilt wins our attention every time, sometimes these dog behaviors can be a cause for concern.

Ear Infections: Persistent head tilt, not related to anything else, could be an indication that your fur baby has an ear infection.

Cocker Spaniels, Basset Hounds, and other long-eared dogs tend to have more ear infections than dogs with upright ears. Ears that flap down trap moisture, which encourages germs to overgrow.

When dogs have too much moisture trapped in their ears, this can cause bacteria to form and grow.

Fluid builds up as the canal becomes infected, causing pain and pressure.

Many dogs will aggressively shake their head and leave them tilted to try to alleviate the pain.

Vestibular Disease: According to PETMD, the vestibular system “tells the body where it is in relation to earth — whether it is upright, up-side-down, moving, being still, etc.”

If your dog cannot regulate his sense of direction, it can change his world, making him feel dizzy, anxious, and nauseated.

You know your fur baby better than anyone. If you suspect that their behavior is more than just the cute, normal head tilt, call your veterinarian.

Vestibular disease is scary but treatable and often leads to a full recovery.

As long as we know that our canine companion is in tip-top shape, the adorable head tilt is a dog behavior that we all know and love.

Dr. Nicholas Dodman, a veterinary behaviorist, believes that head tilting is a sign of intelligence. He goes on to say that head tilting dogs tend to be more sensitive than others and have an especially close bond with their humans.

Tilting of the head in our pups can mean different things. Whatever the cause, it definitely gets our attention!

{RELATED POST: 6 Most Affectionate Small Dog Breeds That Love To Cuddle}

They Bring You Toys // Dog Behavior Meaning

Every time we return home, our Shihpoo, Maggie, brings us a toy, always! It’s like a ritual for her. She wags her tail uncontrollably, so excited she can’t stand it, offering up her favorite toy to us.

While it’s obvious that this is a sign of affection and that your active pooch just wants to play, veterinary behaviorists also believe that they are doing this for attention.

They miss us and want to make sure we remember them when we get home. The toy is used as a distraction to make them the top priority.

There is also the theory that these common dog behaviors are the result of pack hierarchy. It’s the idea of gift-giving for their alpha.

Your loyal canine may bring you a toy on instinct to please. And, since they see you as their alpha, they want to make sure they hold their place within the pack.

Whatever the reason, it’s downright endearing!

Leaning On Us or Sitting On Our Feet

Pulitzer-winning author Edith Wharton once said, “My little dog — a heartbeat by my feet.”

The unconditional love we feel from our canine companions is the reason we added them to our family in the first place.

They love us and want to feel our touch. Just as petting them for us relieves our stress.

Experts believe that our dogs lean on us because they crave our attention, affection, and comfort.

Lynda Taylor, the co-founder of Breed Advisor, says, “By nature, dogs are social animals that crave physical contact. Dogs lean on people because they want to be close to them. Whilst small dogs can be picked up and cuddled, bigger dogs do what they can to get close like leaning on you with all their weight.”

Also, your precious pooch may want to claim you for himself. He is telling others that he belongs to you, you are his leader, and they should stay away.

But just as they lean on us for physical support, they also lean on us for emotional support. They associate safety with us. They need our comfort and reassurance.

This type of dog behavior could also indicate that they are afraid of something. They need to feel the touch of the one person they feel the safest with … you!

Maybe it’s to ease their anxiety from thunderstorms. Maybe it’s a holiday and the fireworks are terrifying them. Or maybe it’s just loud noises that are causing them to be anxious.

Whatever the reason, our cuddly canines love us very much. Whether they are leaning on us for emotional support or physical support, or sitting on our feet, they just want to be close. They need to know that they play an important part in our life.

And since they can’t talk, they must show their affection in other ways.

Think of it as one big doggie hug!

They Stare at You // Dog Behaviors Meaning

Have you ever felt your cozy canines’ eyes following you? Almost like they’re watching your every move? Or gazing affectionately into your eyes?

Dogs have many reasons for turning their gaze on us. Our dogs are in touch with us. They want to communicate and wait for us to communicate with them.

Dog staring is exactly what it seems — an expression of love. Sustained eye contact releases oxytocin, the “bonding hormone” in the brains of both dogs and their owners.

This chemical plays an important role in bonding and feelings of love and trust.

According to Brian Hare, director of the Duke Canine Cognition Center, “oxytocin –the same hormone that helps new mothers bond with their babies — is released in both dogs and humans when they play, touch, or look into one another’s eyes.”

So, if you call your fur baby your other child, then you’re spot on!

Another reason for this type of behavior in dogs is that they are trying to get our attention and tell us something.

Like staring at us when it’s time for a potty break, or wanting food.

Whatever the reason is for this heart-warming dog behavior, we just can’t resist when we look down and see those big, beautiful, brown eyes gazing back at us, as if they just love us so much.

They Paw at You // What Dog Behaviors Mean

Pawing is one of the most significant tools your precious pooch uses to communicate with you. For years our furry babies have seen us using our hands to communicate, so it’s no wonder they use their paws in the same way.

These “hand gestures” are our dog’s way of trying to get our attention. If you think about it, this is no different than a toddler pulling at you when he wants your attention.

They realize that these repeated dog behaviors will get them what they want.

There are several reasons why our dogs paw at us, and all are signals of communication.

When your dog paws at you, he could be demanding attention, asking you to forgive him for something, or simply seeking comfort.

If your canine has separation anxiety, he may paw at you when he knows you are getting ready to leave. Or he may feel anxious after having heard something scary and loud outside.

Dogs also recognize our emotions and will want to help us feel better. They may paw at us when we’re sad as if to say, “it’s ok, I’m here for you”.

When you pet your dog, he experiences a rush of hormones that make him feel good. Because of his love for you,m he may want to return the favor by petting you too.

We pet our pups to show love and affection. Turns out they do the same!

{RELATED POST: 19 Surprising Signs Of Anxiety In Dogs And What You Can Do To Help}

The bond that forms between dog and owner is undeniable. You know it and so does your furry family member.

Our dogs love when we respond positively to something they do. We give them treats and affection in response to their adorable dog behaviors. This makes them want to repeat that action. And, so the cycle continues.

This post was all about the adorable dog behaviors that prove our pooch loves us.

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