Can dogs really love us? Many people believe they can.

I am trying to understand how animals love, and if it is something they feel an inward desire to express, or what? How do we know that they love, or that they have feelings of love toward us, their human friend?

We can’t actually communicate vocally with them about what they are feeling. But we can definitely see it in the way that they express it, especially the way dogs express it..

Take this picture below. You can see in the eyes and the expression, the love that this dog is showing toward one of his favorite friends. It is also very obvious, that with people, there is a feeling that is generated from another, and one is able to feel when they are loved.

The dictionary gives the following definition of love:

1. an intense feeling of deep affection. "babies fill parents with feelings of love" synonyms:deep affection, fondness, tenderness, warmth, intimacy, attachment, endearment; a great interest and pleasure in something. "his love for football" synonyms :liking, weakness, partiality, bent, leaning, proclivity, inclination, disposition;

Just as it is possible to feel the love, one can also feel the opposite. You can feel it when you receive the threatening or frightened stare, or grimace or growl. You can know because you see it, but also because you feel it. You may feel the hairs on the back of your neck raise up, or get this elevated feeling of anxiety or caution. It makes you feel uncomfortable and not welcomed.

No doubt about it, the friendship between man and dog go back for many, many years. Many believe that mankind as we know it, or our survival of the human race, would not have been possible if not for the bonding friendship between man and dog.

People love their horses, their cats, and all sorts of pets. Sometimes it is difficult to know whether or not those different pets love them back, because they have a different way of expressing it.

But with dogs you know! Dogs make it easy for us to know for sure. They have many ways to show us that they love us. Many show it by the wagging tail. Actually, many of them will wag their whole body. Some, like our Bella, give you that whimpering moan of anxiety when you get home from being gone somewhere, that definitely speaks to you, letting you know that you were missed, and they are glad to see you.

Dogs will also express it with their eyes. Just like humans express love with their eyes, so can dogs. It is hard to explain the look, but when you see it, you know it. And they can show it with a smile. It just shows through. With dogs, what you see is what you get.

Yes, dogs can really love us.