#2: You went through a lot of things together
Have you ever heard of the saying, those who struggle together bond better? Or something along those lines?
It’s like when you went through difficult times with your loved ones. When you do conquer it, you come out stronger together. Whether this happened with your family, your partner, or even your friends.
I saw my friend having a better relationship with their siblings after the death of their dad.
And this kind of reaction can also happen between you and your pooch. Was your dog the one who comforted you during hard times?
Maybe when you lost your job? Or when a partner broke up with you? Whatever happened in your past, your fur baby was there to help you.
They may not show it through words, but they know when you’re sad and stressed. After all, dogs can match our cortisol levels.
This hormone is released in our bodies when we encounter events that trigger our fight or flight. According to research, dogs can detect the cortisol in our system.
And when they do, their behavior changes. In the study, the dogs who were frequently touched by their owners got more stressed.
The canines’ cortisol levels got higher when they had interactions with their parents. And the dogs showed it by standing a lot.
“This is interesting. What other things I do could make my dog stressed, too?”
Here are a few:
But when you and your pooch stick together through all these things, you build a better bond with them.
You might also be interested in: Why Does My Dog Always Look Sad? 7 Real Reasons + 3 Tips
#6: You are more empathetic to dogs than adult humans
Showing empathy is a normal human emotion. Especially if we can relate to the things that happened to other people.
Like when someone’s loved one passes away and you see them struggle and cry. Or even when a friend gets promoted and you also feel happy.
Empathy also plays a role in building relationships with your peers.
Have you ever seen a person who can’t easily relate emotionally to other people?
You can already imagine how hard it is for them to make friends.
Sharing emotions and feelings is one way for humans to bond. But this isn’t just something that happens between people.
Your feelings of empathy can go beyond humans and can transfer onto your pet. In fact, you’ll feel it more towards your pooch rather than other people.
“Wait, did you just say I can feel more empathetic towards canines?”
You read that right. Research backs this claim up. In the study, there were 240 people were observed.
They were each given news articles containing news about a vicious attack. Now the victim in the fake newspaper was either:
Results show that their empathy towards the dog, puppy, and baby was almost the same. And the empathetic feelings for the adult human… eh… not so much.
The respondents looked at the victim’s vulnerability. And empathized more for those that were young.
The next time you feel sorry for your pooch and not towards an adult person… it’s normal. After all, you’ve probably built a close and more loving relationship with your pooch.
How to become your dog’s favorite
If you believe you aren’t your dog’s favorite person, but you would like to be, there are some things you can do to improve your bond with them. The best thing to do is spend at least 30 minutes of focused, one-on-one time with your dog every day. This time should be spent doing something active such as playing fetch or tug, having a training session, or trying a new sport such as agility or flyball where you and your dog can work together as a team.
Conversations with your dog are one-sided, but you don’t need a verbal response to know talking to your furry best friend is a good idea. No matter how silly you think you sound, striking up a conversation while you’re out on a walk, cuddling on the couch, or preparing dinner has benefits you probably don’t know about.
Yes, your neighbor might think you’re crazy, but if they have a dog of their own, they should be doing it too. In fact, while not every dog owner will admit it, most people with good relationships with their pets find it natural to start chatting it up with their canines.
If that sounds like you, keep up the good work. And if you’re hesitant to start the conversation, here are a few reasons why talking to your dog on a daily basis is important.
The bond between a person and their dog is a powerful thing. The potential for a relationship based on mutual love and respect is one of the main reasons why people adopt dogs in the first place. Anything that bolsters that bond is something dog owners should be interested in. Some dogs open their hearts after the first belly rub, but a real, enduring bond will take time and effort. Your dog needs to feel perfectly comfortable around you, and part of that is being used to hearing your voice.
Talking to your dog while you’re doing other things is a way to keep them engaged. There are plenty of active bonding moments during your day, like when you’re out exercising or teaching them a new trick, but talking can turn even the laid-back parts of the day into bonding opportunities. Listening to you tell them how pretty and smart they are initiates communication and gives your dog a reason to pay attention to you.
14 Signs Your Dog REALLY Loves You, Confirmed by Science
Most often, we think of dogs as happy, carefree animals who wag their tails and roll onto their backs to get their bellies scratched. You know, all signs of happiness and loving behavior. But as any observant pet owner knows, dogs undoubtedly have other emotions, too. They can be scared—maybe if theres a perceived threat like fireworks or a thunderstorm—and they can get snappy—why did you step on my tail?!—and just like humans, they appear to feel sadness, too. But do dogs cry?
“Dogs are extremely emotional creatures,” Daniel Caughill, co-founder of Dog Tale, explains. “Most of the time, theyre excited and happy, and they show it by barking, wagging their tails, and licking the people they love. But unfortunately, having emotions means dogs experience sadness, too.”
But although dogs feel sadness, the way a dog “cries” isnt necessarily the same way a human does. If were talking tears, theres a bit of a difference in how this species manifests its upset. So, do dogs really cry? Heres what the experts say.
No… and yes. Dogs can “cry,” but this doesnt necessarily mean that their eyes expel tears… at least not due to their feelings.
“As you might have observed in your own pet, dogs do cry in the definition that they can shed tears,” explains Dr. Genna Mize, staff technical service veterinarian in support of the pharmacovigilance team at Virbac Animal Health. “However, humans are thought to be the only animals that cry tears of emotion.”
Dog crying really is more like whimpering, and unlike humans, dogs dont tear up when they are sad.
“Signs that your dog is sad include vocalizations, like whimpering or whining, as well as showing a lack of energy or interest in things they normally love, like favorite snacks or toys,” Caughill says. “Dogs may also show their emotion on their face by squinting their eyes or hiding their face from you.”
Cauhill adds, “However, even if you hear your dog crying, dont expect to see tears. Dog tear ducts activate for normal reasons, such as washing away debris and other irritants from the eyes. But dogs dont tear up in response to their emotions.”
In fact, “crying” in the way of expelling tears is strictly human business. Dogs, and other animals, tear up in their eyes for other reasons, physical reasons—not emotional ones.
“Only humans cry tears when they are sad,” Dr. Oscar Chavez, veterinarian and Chief Medical Officer and founding executive at JustFoodForDogs LLC, tells Parade. “Dog tears, however, may be a sign of something wrong in the eyes: discharge, conjunctivitis or infections, allergies, or corneal ulcers or scratches.”