21 Touching Stories From Pet Owners Prove That Doggos Truly Love Their Hoomans
Dogs have been our loyal companions for centuries. They've been by our side through thick and thin, always ready to offer a wagging tail or a comforting paw.
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But do they really love us? The answer, according to scientists, is a resounding yes!
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Dogs are highly social creatures that form strong bonds with their owners. In fact, studies have shown that humans experienced increased levels of oxytocin (the love hormone) when dogs interact with them.
How do dogs show their affection? There are a lot of ways — from wagging their tails to licking their humans' faces. But one of the most important ways they express their love is through eye contact.
When a dog makes eye contact with you, they are deliberately trying to connect with you. They know that eye contact is one of the most powerful ways to communicate emotions, and they want to let you know that they care about you.
Eye contact is so important to dogs that they will often break it off if they feel like they are getting too much attention. This is because they don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable.
They would rather have a moment of shared eye contact than stare at you for too long and make you feel uneasy. There are also other ways dogs show their love to their humans.
Some users attest to this by sharing their stories. Let's take a look.
1. Agapi's story
A year or so ago I met a man of Native American descent. He was traveling through Greece and he happened to come upon me as he was touring our village. He was a tall man, 6’2” or so, grey eyes like a wolf’s; he seemed hesitant, but with an air of pride mingled with a touch of nonchalance.
I was able to recognize he was a tourist and spoke to him in English. I saw relief wash over his features: he was having a difficult time communicating with some of my village folk he met along the way.
His name was Jerry. I was expecting to hear a name like “Great Hawk” or “Running Creek” but no—it was just simply Jerry.
But there was nothing simple about Jerry.
He walked along with me till we reached the Kafenio (Tavern), which also rented rooms to visitors.
As we walked, he told me he hailed from the Narragansett (I hope I got this correct) tribe somewhere near Massachusetts; he was touring Europe before returning to finish up with his education in the States.
As we walked my dog ran up to us, probably after terrorizing all the chickens and cats in the village—our dogs are not put on leashes here, they are safe to wander with no restrictions.
He was really friendly with my “Agapi” and she with him. As he bent to pet her, they stared at one another as if they’d recognized each other; not so, they met in that moment for the first time and a calm came over my otherwise bouncy, playful Agapi—this is the effect he had on her.
I helped him secure a room for the night; he was leaving in the morning to visit the other villages.
I stayed at the Kafenio for a little to visit with my cousins. I wanted Jerry to feel at home so I asked him to sit with us while we had a drink, since he was alone, and hospitality is what we do best.
The visit lasted longer than I thought…
In the meantime my Agapi was barking up a storm and trying to get inside the Kafenio to get to me.
Every time the front door opened to allow a patron in, Agapi would run in to sit beside me. We removed her a couple of times, until everyone just gave up and she sat at my feet all through our visit.
“‘Agapi’ loves you very much,” said Jerry, trying to pronounce her name with a heavy Bostonian accent.
“Yes, she does she is just a great ball of love, hence her name, from the moment I held her as a newborn puppy, she gave me love before I ever realized I was captivated,” I said to Jerry.
He then went on to tell us a Native American fable about dogs. We Greeks love stories, everyone in the Kafenio pulled their chairs around our table, hovering close lest they miss something, to hear the story, whilst some played with their moustaches, worribeads, listening attentively, all the while sipping on their third or fourth cup of strong piping hot Greek coffee.
I had the honor of playing the interpreter.
And so…
The Great Manit (God) had created the sun, the moon and stars the fields and the rivers, he breathed and created man, he breathed again and created all the animals in the a animal kingdom. The dust that was flying around after all the winds he’d stirred up had not settled, irritating his nostrils. The Great Manit sneezed and the dog was created, his last creation, an after effect of all the greatness his breath had given life to.
There was confusion; all his creations were fighting for supremacy.
So the Great Manit had to place order amongst all the creatures. He gathered them all on the peak of the tallest mountain; it reached into the clouds of heaven.
I must separate the animals from man, the Great Manit thought.
He breathed and separated them. There on the highest mountain, man was placed on one side of the mountain and the animals on the other.
Now I must make sure that they all understand in what order they belong.
I will split the mountain separating the animals from man.
The Great Manit breathed; the mountain began to rumble, spew fire, rocks flew here and there, the mountain roared as it began to break apart, but just before the final split, the dog leaped over the cliff to be with man. Thus the Great Manit, touched by the love the dog had for man, held his breath; everything stilled, leaving the dog with man as his most loyal companion.
When Jerry finished telling his story, some were tearing, others were slapping their knees.
“Lemme tell ou a Grreeek stori nawou, said one of my cousin, in broken English, that was my cue, I was done as interpreter for the night.
I said my goodbyes to Jerry, who was not simply a Jerry. He was a “Great Storyteller.”
I never saw Jerry again, but wherever you are in this small world, Agapi and I send our warmest of regards, from Greece!
Αγάπη -Agapi-Love.
Yes, dogs really do love us!
Image mine.
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2. Dogs are willing to risk their lives for their owners.
A dog died in a fire which it helped police find its owner
In Utah, a dog backed to alert police of its owner trapped in a burning house. The police officer confused the dogs, backing to screams behind the door, and decided to break down the door.
Police managed to the owner, but unfortunately, the dog died in the fire. Was it not for the dog. The woman would have died since no one would have known that she was trapped in the fire.
This is pure love!!!
The dog sacrificed its own life to save the owner, which is more than we can say for most people. Not many people would be willing to risk their lives to save other people.
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3. Dogs show their love by keeping their humans from danger.
Yes, dogs love us! Sometimes, it may not be apparent, but they will go to the ends of the earth to protect/love us. My Ginger was a very abused dog when I got her, she wouldn’t protect or show love to her previous owner, but one night, a coyote came and stalked me, she immediately came and stood by my side and showed that coyote who was boss.
I now have Spirit. I wound up going to the hospital and having to stay for 3 days. When I got home, she danced and cuddled with me for 2 days. I was told that the entire time I was away she didn’t smile, play with her toys or do anything. She just waited at the door, wondering when I would be back for her.
So, yes, I believe that dogs know that they are loved, and they love in return. Pic of my Princess Spirit!
4. Sparkling eyes
Just a few minutes ago I was in the bathroom with my boy (hes my 13 year old pitbull TJ) contently sitting there across from me staring at me. His eyes closed as I leaned forward and scratched his shoulders. I was telling him how handsome he looked after getting a shower last night.
He was basically in a trance as his little sister (my 8 month old pit bull) came bouncing in to join the pat party. He leaned to the side pushing her a little which of course only made her push back. So now I was long done but I patted both of them. As she bounced back out and into the kitchen to get into whatever she could, he gently licked my hand. I patted him some more and he leaned closer for a hug.
As I got up he looked up at me with his big brown eyes. They sparkled a little. I think of it as the look of love. I hope he loves me, I'm pretty convinced he does. I only hope he knows how much I love him.
When I lost my girl (my 16 year old pit bull) back in December I prayed that she knew how much she meant to me. She waited for me to be there to leave this world. I told her it was OK. I told her how much I loved her. She stared at me half terrified but seemed comforted as I patted her. She took her last breath and I held her limp body not really wanting to let go. I know she loved me.
As my new baby bounces around constantly busy, every now and then she will stop and race to me and leap up for a hug. Full hug with paws around my neck. She already loves me and is very good at showing it.
I think if the question needs an answer, call your dog to you and look into their eyes…the eyes are the window to the soul. If they get a little sparkle when you pat them, you will see that amazing unconditional love that dog lovers know all too well. ;)
I believe dogs actually love and do it better than most people.
Edit: I am overwhelmed with all your wonderful comments! Thank you all so much! My boy passed away a few months after I wrote this and I couldn't bring myself to read it again.
Here is the look I spoke of
5. A dog's unconditional love
Oh yes ,They do!
She is Lexi, my pet dog.
Last year a guy came to my house without ringing the bell. Lexi is very aggressive so she attacked him. I tried to pull her to save the guy but my efforts went in vain. Suddenly I got hurt by Lexi's nails. I said “Ouch” in pain. That was the moment I cannot forget ever. As soon she felt my voice ,she stopped her activity and started wagging her tail continuously as if she was saying sorry.
Lexi is also jealous of my son. When she was 6 months old , she pushed away my son and sat in my lap . Whenever my son kisses or hugs me she starts barking at him.
When I am unwell she sits beside me without making any noise.
Dogs love their master unconditionally.
6. Dogs = Family
Acutually dogs love us. They put us as their families.
1. When it is hot, many people would like to go to the beach for having fun. Especially children are much more interested in plaing in the sea. A girl form Shenzhen city of Guangdong province wen to the beach with her family to play. She saw a small fish in the water, then she tried to catch it following by her dog. But without caution, she was swept into the sea by the heavy weaves. Then, her dog catched her T-shirt in time and saved her life.
2. The dog below is called Nora. He/she used to have a dark past. The former owner abused and tortured him/her. Later, he/she came to the animal shelter. Because of past experience, he/she is very afraid to approach humans. Until the Archie family adopted him/her. The owner really loves him/her, he/she can feel it. So, he/she slowly opened its heart, and returned with all love... Thus, dog always love us.
No matter what we have experienced, we need to love our dog as they love us. Because in their heart, we are placed on the first. When we meet troubles, they will protect us from being hurt. They actually us, and we do not do some bad things to hurt them, like abusing them, beating them and so on.
7. They bring happiness to sad humans.
Here’s a little something about my dog. And his owner, me.
I’ve been depressed on-and-off for three years now.
Today, I did something remarkably terrible, I was in a panic state for about three hours. I just sat in the same place for three hours, staring blankly.
I didn’t even notice if my dog notices me or not. I didn’t bother to care. But I knew that he would be better off without me.
I locked myself up in a room. I was still in shock. I was not speaking. I wasn’t sure if I was breathing properly.
My dog followed me. He was playing with my shoes. I just let him, which I normally don’t. When he realized that, he stopped and sat in front of me. He looked at me with knowingly eyes. They weren’t judging, but they weren’t caring, either. He was just wondering.
“What happened?”
I just stared back at him.
This time, he knows something is off because usually, when I’m in a depressive episode, I seek comfort in him. This time, I didn’t.
He tried to paw at me, I moved away.
He kept asking me what’s wrong. I never told him. I never touched him.
Then he heard my mother cooking. Instinctively, he bounced to the door. I haven’t fed him since this morning, so his hunger was understandable. I let him out.
After a good couple of minutes, he was knocking at my door again. I thought he might go away soon, if I didn’t let him in. Besides, how would he know I’m in trouble?
He never stopped knocking.
I let him in.
The same thing happened. He stared at me. Eager to know why I was acting the way I was, eager to know how he could console me, eager to know how to care for me.
It’s now midnight, everyone’s asleep. I’m in the living room. There’s no fan on. It’s really hot. And I can tell he is, too.
There’s a room with a fully-functioning air conditioner. It’s cool and cold there. There’s a soft, warm bed and a soft, warm blanket with my scent on it that can keep him warm. It’s very comfortable. I know he wants it.
But as long as I am here, he will never leave my side.
No matter how hot the temperature is. No matter how hard I push him away.
He will never leave my side.
So, yes. Dogs actually love us.
My dog went out for a bit of food in his tummy, but after getting that, he straightly ran towards my door and knocked.
Yeah, I think it’s safe to say that they not only love us because they need us for survival, but because they’re emotionally bonded with us. They love us because they do.
8. We treat dogs as family too.
Dogs actually see us as their family. ... Dogs understand the world through their noses and eyes so the answer yes, as you feed the dog taking care of him yes he will love you.
9. She felt the love throughout the years of owning dogs
I think so, but that is just my opinion. I have had many dogs throughout my lifetime, and some of them loved me, and some of them loved others in my family. That isn’t to say that they didn’t like me, but I just wasn’t “their” person. My dog that loved me the most (IMHO)was just recently euthanized - he was 18 and failing in so many ways over the previous year, and he knew it. He was sad and so was I.
The average life expectancy for his breed is about 10 years, I was told, so after that much time, I kind of forgot that he had a “time stamp” that was less than mine, lol. In this last year is black face turned almost completely white, he lost his balance a lot, fell often, and then became incontinent, which was very upsetting for him, he was a very proud and majestic dog.
He did not let anyone on the other side of the fence around me if I was outside in our backyard - he would bark incessantly so that conversation was impossible, lol. He didn’t let anyone raise their voice, joking or not, around me and any babies or children. He would get between them and move them away from them(or me).
He always slept in my bed with me, and if any of my other dogs joined us, he would get up and position himself between me and the other dogs - even if he had to lie on top of them. He would take naps with me - waiting until I fell asleep, then positioning himself back to back with me and his head on a pillow.
I went to Florida a few years ago for a week, and he would not let anyone in my room. He would come out to eat and go out, and then was right back in the room chasing people and animals out, sometimes actually growling and snarling.
They were quite scared and left him alone…when I came home, he hoisted all 85 lbs of him onto my lap, and followed me everywhere for several days. I miss that boy. I have to go now and cry about him.
Several people have questions about my Selly. He was named Selfish by his original owner. Rather than change his name, I just shortened it to Selly. He was friendly to everyone if they were in the house or fenced yard, unless I became unfriendly to them, then it was on - they had to leave the premises.
He was a purebred Bluenose Pit Bull, the runt of his litter. His original owner got him for a song because of that. I can't imagine what his littermates looked like when they grew up because Selly was 85 pounds of muscle.
I had him back and forth from the time he was 2 months old until he was about 2 1/2. I had a falling out with the owner and I didn't see him for 6 months, then he came to me for good. That's another story in itself. Here I am, so many years later, and I still mourn him. Someday I will get another dog…
10. They give us comfort whenever we need it.
When my Cletus Moonshine (a Redbone Coonhound) was a puppy, I taught him to sit next to me on the couch and “hold hands”. As he grew, he would hop onto the couch and put a paw out to me. I’d grab it, give it a squeeze, and he’d lay down with his paw in my hand for long periods of time as I watched tv, talked with family members, or read a book.
One day I was laying down not feeling well and there was no room for him to sit alongside me. So my Cletus Moonshine laid at my feet and slung a paw over my foot; the closet he could get to “hold my hand” and, I believe, to provide me comfort.
I love this amazing creature with everything I have within me. And, without hesitation, I believe he loves me too.
11. An unbreakable bond between human and dog
Meet Olive Marie Hutt. She’s been part of the family for 5 years, and she loves rubs under her neck. Some of her favorite things include playing tug of war around the house with various toys and sitting at the base of a tree she saw a squirrel in.
When we first got her, I was a shy little twelve-year-old and she was a rambunctious puppy. She ran circles in our backyard during her first few hours home, and my dad had to carry her inside the house when it got dark because she loved the outdoors so much.
During my freshman year of high school, my dad moved to Seattle for work while my mom, brother, and I lived in Colorado. He would come home every few months, and Olive would pee all over the floor in excitement to hear his voice and see him once again.
The bond between my dad and my dog is unbreakable. A dog truly is man’s best friend.
12. Always together
I am writing this sitting down in the living room. Lying next to me is my amazing whippet Maximus. He has his head on my lap and his eyes are looking at me in that incredible naughty child way whippets excel at.
If any of us leave for even five minutes he gets very excited when we get back. When we are all together is the only time they relax.
He and I are inseparable. If I go anywhere he comes with me. If he doesn't come then he whines until I get him. He is happiest sleeping on my lap.
Three years ago we went to Florida for two weeks. When we came back he was so excited to see us he didn't keep still for hours.
Look at the pictures of the army dogs protecting their owners while they sleep or welcoming them home after they have been away for months.
They are pack animals and we are their pack. Although it might not be what we class as love, in their own way I don't have the slightest doubt they love us.
To be fair I can't imagine a house without a dog. Even the thought makes me shiver.
13. Someone wanted to post about their cat
This is a picture of my cat. Every evening, when I got home from work, she would come and sit on that spot, staring at me until I start talking to her. Then she would quietly purr, rubbing her head against my leg.
Someone dumped her (as well as her 4 kittens) in the industrial area next to my workplace. My colleagues took pity on them, and managed to find good homes for the kittens. But she remained, as no one was prepared to take in a fullgrown stray.
I know this is a question about dogs. But I will probably never meet someone who adore me as much as this cat did.
14. What dog stares can mean
I have 5 dogs here. They are all rescues. My first dog, Amy, picked me while I was at the local shelter dropping off some donations. When I got her home, and for many years after, I was the only one she trusted. About a year later I took her to the shelter to pick out another dog as a playmate for her. She picked my Shih Tzu, Neveah.
I now have 5 rescue dogs, and they ALL love me very much, and it shows.
Not so long ago a friend came out to visit me. We had known each other very well (dated) many years ago, and when we broke up we lost touch with each other for several years. a few years back we reconnected, and he came up to see me and my animals.
He fell in love with my Shih Tzu, who is a very friendly dog, but it was clear that she was not going to go with him. She would go over to him to be petted, but when he asked her if she wanted to go for a ride, she ran to me. Needless to say, it was clear that she loves me, and was not about to go with this person.
When my Chihuahua looks at me, you can almost see the little hearts floating out from him because he loves me so much. He stays by my side almost constantly, as do all of my other dogs.
When a dog stares into your eyes (one that you KNOW is not an aggressive dog), they are actually ‘hugging” you with their eyes. The eyes say a lot in a dog, as does the rest of the body language.
but the short answer is YES! Dogs are sentient beings and are able to feel love, joy, happiness, sadness, and grieving.
15. Dogs can love humans other than their owners
I certainly believe so. A few years back when my daughter was in graduate school, her friend adopted a Pit Bull from a shelter.
For a period of time, I babysat him quite a bit. Usually it was just for a long week-end but I had him for a week one or two times. We became really fast buddies.
He would sleep next to my thigh in bed under the covers. If I watched a movie, he would plop down on the couch next to my thigh and I had to cover him with his blanket.
But what I found interesting is when I went to work. He’d have his morning walk. Breakfast. I’d make the bed and cover it with his favorite blanket as it was his preferred sleeping spot.
But after I left he would go around the bedroom, pick up any loose clothes and pile them in the middle of the bed. My t-shirt and gym shorts I slept in. My sweats from the night before. Anything else he could find. And then sleep on them during the day. With an occasional break, I’m sure, to inspect the bathroom trash can to see if there were any tissues to shred.
I really miss him. After graduation Matt and Mikey the Pit Bull moved to Seattle; which was always Matt’s goal. So now Mikey is a West Coast rather than East coast dog. I miss him. And I’d like to think he misses me.
16. Love at first sight
I know all my dogs love me, but it’s nice when you see something that cinches it.
My dog, Nash…I adopted him from the SPCA in Jan 2000 and it was love at first sight. He followed me around so closely my husband would tease, “if you stop suddenly, his head will go right up your butt”. But if I ever had any doubt, at all..it was erased when we almost lost him.
He was a chow, german shepherd, golden retriever mix, so, you can imagine the hair he produced. It was a nightmare esp when he blew out his winter coat, so we got into the habit (as recommended by our vet) to have him stripped down—usually to an inch. We did, and had no trouble with it until March 2010.
I dropped him off at home after the groomer, and went to the grocery store. Came back, and he wasn’t there, waiting to help carry in the groceries. (We’d put the light bags around his neck, he’d go into the kitchen, and wait for someone to remove the bag. Then he’d go back out to the car. It was ADORABLE.) After I unloaded the car, I went to put some stuff away in the garage, and he wasn’t there. I called him…sometimes he got engrossed in chasing squirrels and would zone out. But I didn’t hear his tags.
Got scared, called my husband. He told me to go inside and he’d handle it. Long story short, we found Nash under the project car in the garage, not moving. He’d had a heat stroke. We got him to the ER and found out he’d suffered a heat stroke, which had triggered a mini stroke. He’d been almost comatose when we brought him in, and they’d stabilized him, but it didn’t look good.
I was a basket case, crying…and that damn dog heard me crying. He got up, and tried to get to me. All kinds of bags and machines hooked up to him, and HE wanted to comfort ME. The vet got me out of earshot and they calmed him down. He did make a full recovery…but we didn’t strip him down any more.
Turns out that thick coat helps keep him cool…and that’s harder for a dog’s body to do when they hit their teens. He was 13 at that time, and from then on, when he started blowing out his coats, we just had the groomer de-shed him. A little more money, but wasn’t a life threatening endeavor for my dog!
But there he was, dying, and all he was focused on was his mommy, crying, and all he worried about was getting to me.
That’s love.
17. Dogs are a blessing
120%
I've been with dogs since I was young. I've seen everything but selfishness. They don't want anything but love and pats ( of course food from time to time and some walks).
My current doggo isn't a very smart breed. He's a homely dog. I remember once I was crying silently and somehow he sensed that something is wrong, he slept beside me that whole night and woke up multiple times in between to keep a check.
Sometimes when I am studying at night, I don't turn on Air conditioning in my room because it makes me feel sleepy. In spite of that, he leaves my mom's cool room and comes to rest in mine just to accompany me.
Once I pretended to faint and he ran to my mom's room to call her for help.
Even when I'm not at home, I know he would be sitting at the door waiting for me to return.
...
As soon as I return back, he jumps on me , wags his tail and gets ready to cuddle. I know he loves me
Even now when I'm writing this answer, he's right here
I'm truly blessed to own a dog. He's my family. We recently celebrated his 3rd Birthday ❤️
Thanks for reading❤️
18. Woody-Boy may have an answer.
Here’s how my dog Woody-Boy responded to a similar question recently:
If you’re looking for a human service-unit with my human service-unit’s qualifications, I can recommend him highly. After getting up and stumbling around in the kitchen making his wake-up juice, he never forgets to FEED me, and he usually has some (rather moronic) nice things to say about me, such as “Good job, Woody-Boy, you ate your breakfast without slopping it all over the floor.”
Then he goes out to his office to see a bunch of patients. Bad news: I’m not supposed to BARK at them, or to sniff their private parts. I mean, what good is it to be a dog if you can’t bark at and sniff intruders? BUT, in an abortive attempt to dissuade me from barking and sniffing, he tries to buy me off during the day with a succession of dog-cookies.
That’s totally OK by me. So, it works out pretty well. I like to take my daily naps by sitting on his feet, and he doesn’t usually push me off of them or say too many bad human-words.
He always remembers to fill my water bowl, and he usually stops and gives me few perfunctory pets during the day. AND, he just got me a spiffy new custom-foam dog-bed, which is really comfy, but still hasn’t stopped me from sleeping on the bed or the couch when I feel like it.
So, all-in-all, he is a pretty good guy, if you’re in the market for a creaky old human service-unit.
Now, does this represent doggie-love? Who knows - you’ll have to ask Woody-Boy.
19. This doggo knows his priorities.
My dog makes it obvious he loves me. However, I think my dog loves food more than he does me.
Just this morning, I was on the sofa having breakfast and he comes up to me. All adorable and cute, snuggling up to me, nudging my hand with his nose so I can pet his head, then getting up on my knee to give me kisses.
Then I got my breakfast biscuits. My dog took on his best spotter dog impersonation, watching the packet with laser focus. When I gave him a little kiss and pet he just totally ignored me - watching the biscuits intensely in case they disappeared whilst he blinked.
I gave him one, and he ran off and devoured it like he hadn’t eaten in days. Then came right back to the laser focus staring at my other biscuits.
Once I’d eaten my biscuits (with him stealing about a third of them), he then decided to snuggle up, ask for attention and give me kisses (of his own volition) once again.
My dog knows his priorities. lol
20. Dog makes a guy realize his fault
When my boyfriend quarrels, my dog never see.
Just quietly lying on one side, expression as if to say, look at two silly.
Only once did the two of us quarrel in a particularly serious way.
As soon as I got angry, the ring snapped on the desk in the study.
Then two people began the Cold War, My boyfriend stood in the living room, I stood in the bedroom, no one cares.
My dog, do not know what time quietly ran from the bedroom to the study.
I don't know how it got the ring on the coffee table (usually trained strictly, never on the table)
Then it moved to the living room, and when he threw the ring in front of my male friend, he turned around and walked away.
I was shocked and my boyfriend realized his mistake and came over and apologized to me.I admit I was moved by my dog.
21. When you have a dog, you just know that they love you.
By every move they make….run up to greet you,tail wagging ,lies next to you when you take him for walk looks up to make sure you’re there My pup always gives me dog kisses (licks) on my hands,toes & neck & lies in the doorway whilst I take a shower She stares at me & her eyes are filled with love…believe me,you’ll know,without a doubt … 🐾🥰🐾
Dogs have an intense emotional connection with their owners and form close bonds.
These woofers rely on their owners for everything from security and companionship to food and shelter, and in return, they offer us unconditional love and support. While it’s impossible to know exactly what’s going on inside a dog’s head, we can be sure that the bond between owner and pet is one of the strongest there is.
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