Does your dog love you? Take our quiz to find out!

The special bond between our two species

There’s no denying that humans and dogs have a very special connection. Most dog owners will vouch for the fact that our pooches seem to have a unique ability to read our emotions, body language and expressions and to respond in various ways to these cues.

The relationship between humans and our dogs is a unique and symbiotic one that often seems to bring pleasure equally to both parties. Our pooches have an uncanny ability to cheer us up when we are feeling down, and they make us feel warm and fuzzy inside when they cuddle up to us or roll onto their backs for a tummy rub.

Do dogs feel love? ♥

While it may not be exactly the same as the human experience of love, dogs do feel a strong emotional connection with their humans that is the canine equivalent of love.

In fact, scientific studies suggest that dogs are capable of experiencing a range of complex emotions, and that they may have an emotional life that is more similar to humans than previously thought.

Signs that dogs are capable of feeling love:

• They show affection and attachment to both their human and canine companions, behaviours that express feelings of love.
• They are able to bond strongly with their owners in a similar way that babies form attachments to their parents. They show this by displaying behaviours associated with social bonding, such as cuddling, nuzzling and licking.
• They often show distress when separated from their owners and pleasure when they are reunited, further signs of emotional attachment.
• They can recognise when we are happy or sad and respond appropriately, and they may even mirror our emotional state by being excited when we are excite or distressed when we are distressed.
• They are capable of feeling a range of other emotions, including happiness, fear, anxiety, anger, and even jealousy.

Take our quiz to find out if your dog loves you!

It’s easy to know how strong your feelings are towards your dog, but you may be wondering if your dog has those same feelings towards you! Your pooch can’t tell you in words, but they can show you in other ways just how much they love you… or not! 😉

Answer the six questions below, then simply add up your points and find out for yourself if your dog truly loves you…

Question 1:

Does your dog get excited to see you when you come home?

1. No, my dog doesn’t get excited when I come home. It’s as if I never left!
2. Sometimes my dog greets me at the door but isn’t overly excited, maybe just a tail wag or a quick lick of acknowledgement.
3. Yes! My dog runs to the door and greets me very enthusiastically every time I come home… as if I’ve been away for a month instead of an hour!

Question 2:

Does your dog follow you around when you move from one room to another?

1. No, my dog is quite happy to stay where he/she is when I leave the room, isn’t bothered when I go and very seldom follows me around.
2. Sometimes my dog follows me around but is equally happy to stay behind when I leave the room.
3. Yes! My dog likes to be where I am and usually follows me around the house, much like my shadow!

Question 3:

Does your dog cuddle with you, sit on you, nuzzle and/or lick you?

1. No, my dog doesn’t like to cuddle with me, he/she prefers to cuddle with other people or pets or have their own space.
2. Sometimes my dog cuddles with me but he/she also likes to cuddle other people or have their own space.
3. Yes! My dog loves to cuddle with me, will often sit as close to me as possible (or on me!) and likes to nuzzle and/or lick me.

Question 4:

Does your dog listen to you when you give commands?

1. No, my dog doesn’t listen to my commands – he/she usually ignores me completely!
2. Sometimes my dog listens to me but other times he/she just ignores me.
3. Yes! My dog wants to please me so he/she usually listens to me and follows my commands quickly and eagerly.

Question 5:

Does your dog comfort you when you’re upset?

1. No, my dog doesn’t seem to know or doesn’t appear to care when I’m upset!
2. Sometimes my dog tries to comfort me, but other times ignores it when I’m upset.
3. Yes! My dog seems to know when I’m upset and tries as best as he/she can to comfort me.

Question 6:

Does your dog prefer your company to anyone else, including other pets in the home?

1. No, my dog usually prefers to be with another family member or pet rather than with me.
2. My dog shares his/her time fairly evenly between all the family members and pets in the house.
3. Yes! My dog usually chooses to be with me over all other family members, friends and pets.

Scoring:

• For every question you chose (1), give yourself 1 point.
• For every question you chose (2), give yourself 2 points.
• For every question you chose (3), give yourself 3 points.

Results:

• If you scored 14-18 points: Congratulations, your dog clearly loves you! Your dog loves spending time with you, probably follows you around, mostly listens to you, and often shows affection to you with cuddles, licks and nuzzles.
• If you scored 9-13 points: Your dog loves you, but you may not be his/her one true love. Perhaps your dog doesn’t have favourites and loves all the members of the family equally, or they may consider another animal as their favourite companion.
• If you scored 8 or fewer points: Your dog doesn’t show obvious feelings of love toward you, however, this doesn’t mean that your dog doesn’t love you in their own way. Your dog may prefer other family members to you or may have other ways of showing you their love for you. You can strengthen your relationship by spending time and engaging in activities together, such as going for regular walks or playing interactive games together.