There’s no denying that the bond between humans and dogs is powerful. A report from Rover, called “The Real Power of Dog Love,” found that devoted dog people gaze lovingly into their dogs’ eyes (67%), cuddle their dog more often than their partner (47%), and would even consider ending a relationship if their partner didn’t like dogs or was severely allergic (53%).
So what drives these loving bonds we build with our furry companions? We spoke with Dr. Jennifer Merlo, Director of Veterinary Affairs at Fear Free, to learn how and why dogs and humans are so connected.
Why Do I Feel So Much Love for My Dog?
There are lots of reasons to love dogs. But the depth of the bond between people and their pups might be strengthened by historical, psychological, and even biological factors.
- Studies show interacting with our dogs produces “feel good” chemicals, rewarding us for spending time together.
- Dogs are especially stable emotional “attachment points” according to psychologists and scholars.
- We’ve bred dogs over thousands of years, leading them to develop qualities that encourage caregiving.
A chemical reward
One reason we love dogs is because it feels good on a chemical level. A landmark study published in Science demonstrated that when dogs and their pet parents gaze into each other’s eyes, their oxytocin levels rise significantly. This mutual increase in oxytocin reinforces the emotional bond, which enhances feelings of attachment and love.
Similarly, studies on the impact of animal-assisted therapy have also found that dogs can significantly reduce anxiety and cortisol levels. It’s why dogs can be so good for our mental health.
In short, it feels good to spend time with your dog—making it easy to love them.
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A parent-child attachment
Many scholars have pointed to attachment theory to explain the powerful bond between people and their dogs.
Dogs offer all the things that feed an attachment, including responsive interactions, emotional support, and long-lasting companionship.
There’s even evidence to suggest that dogs are a more secure attachment point than other people, perhaps thanks to their enduring loyalty and love.
To Dr. Merlo, it’s not surprising. “Dogs provide unconditional love and affection for their owners,” she says. “This type of relationship is beyond what we often get from other humans. Dogs provide us with a social connection with a creature that is always happy to see us and who loves us no matter what the rest of our day has been like.”
An evolutionary bond
“Humans and animals have been bonded for well over 15,000 years, and some studies show evidence of bonds predating that,” explains Dr. Merlo. And it’s not hard to see why canids might have been one of early humanity’s first picks.
They were powerful hunting partners and guardians of the home—but they also offered companionship and social interaction. “Both dogs and humans thrive on companionship and socialization and the bond we share fulfills that need,” Dr. Merlo adds.
Thousands of years of breeding also changed dogs, giving them mobile eyebrows and larger eyes, plus a tendency to make eye contact. Those eyes and their similarity to human young inspire a caregiving response in humans. They make it even easier for us to relate to a species that has grown up alongside us over millennia.
Do Dogs Know They Are Loved?
According to Dr. Merlo, dogs know we love them too, and their behaviors actively work to deepen our bond.
Phil Tedeschi, founder of the Institute for Human-Animal Connection, suggests that returning a human’s loving gaze is intentional. Dogs watch and wait for moments to gaze at and connect with humans. It’s a deliberate choice that takes some courage, since, as Dr. Merlo points out, dogs by nature avoid eye contact, considering it a threat.
In fact, dogs are keenly able to read our body language and emotional temperature because they spend a lot of time observing us to better understand us and fit into our lives.
There’s also good evidence to suggest dogs love us back. “Dogs experience an oxytocin bond to humans similar to what a mother experiences with a newborn. Dogs exhibit body language and facial gestures such as making eye contact, tail wagging, and butt wiggling that indicates that they are happy to see us,” Dr. Merlo says.
IURII KRASILNIKOV via iStock
Why Pet Parents Love Their Dogs: Real Experiences
Pet parents love their dogs for a variety of reasons and show it in many ways.
For Malinda McMinn, who adopts senior dogs for Adams County Pet Rescue, giving a dog a home in their last years is a wonderful experience: “It makes my heart full,” she says.
She recalls a dog she adopted when he was about 15, who passed away after a couple of years with her family. “When we got him, he was terrified of hands. He would bite you and would not let you hold him; his five pounds of fury and fear would come out. By the end, he enjoyed being held. It was absolutely amazing and exciting and wonderful to see it and be part of it. He gained that trust and would seek out more attention.”
Then there are the people who make dogs their lives and research, like speech-language pathologist Christina Hunger. She came up with the concept of dog talking buttons for her Catahoula-Blue Heeler mix Stella, because she saw how her puppy used pre-linguistic communication skills resembling that of a toddler. The internet hasn’t been the same since.
Here at Rover HQ, we’re inspired by our dogs daily, and they help us review toys, food, and more.
The Best Quotes About Dog Love
“Happiness is a warm puppy.” —late cartoonist Charles M. Schulz
“Because of the dog’s joyfulness, our own is increased. It is no small gift.” —late poet Mary Oliver
“Dogs do speak, but only to those who know how to listen.” —author Orhan Pamuk
“Dogs come into our lives to teach us about love. They depart to teach us about loss. A new dog never replaces an old dog, it merely expands the heart.” —author Erica Jong
“Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.” —animal welfare advocate Roger A. Caras
“If I could be half the person my dog is, I’d be twice the human I am.” —author Charles Yu
“I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me, they are the role model for being alive.” —comedian Gilda Radner
“Petting, scratching, and cuddling a dog could be as soothing to the mind and heart as deep meditation and almost as good for the soul as prayer.” —author Dean Koontz
“Everything I know, I learned from dogs.” —author Nora Roberts
“A person who has never owned a dog has missed a wonderful part of life.” ―late TV personality and animal advocate Bob Barker
