Do dogs understand love?

Question

I love my dogs a lot and they are affectionate and "aim to please" with my husband and I. Do you think they feel loved by us petting them, feeding them, talking to them and spending time playing with them? What about when it's just the 2 of them while we are at work? Do they feel unloved? What do you think?

Answer 1

Affectionate touch is a form of love. Dogs appreciate all that you do for them...feeding them, petting them, walking them, playing with them, talking with them. They are probably each other's best friends aside from you, so when it's just the two of them, they probably still play a bit, but dogs are social creatures and tend to eat and play when their owners are around. They usually sleep when you are gone during the day. Even when you are having a bad day and tell them to go away, they just go with the flow and don't feel unloved. Sometimes they don't want you touching them and just want to be left alone sometimes too, but that doesn't make you feel unloved.

Two stories about my dogs:

I had a golden retriever growing up. My homework each week was to write down how many minutes each week I spent reading. To encourage reading, the teacher told us to read to someone or something--parents, siblings, pets, stuffed animals. I chose to read to my golden, and she wouldn't even let me stop to turn the page. When I did, she'd lick me, nudge me, anything to regain the attention. So when it was time to turn the page, I'd say "OK, now I'm just turning the page, so don't lose your thoughts, we'll get to the story now that I turned the page." Very sweet. And she understood when story time was over, too!

Right now, my brother has this Dachshund/Chihuahua mutt. He moved away to an apartment and left it at my house since there is a big yard and other dogs to play with. This dog absolutely loves my brother. He follows him everywhere! To the kitchen, to the bedroom, to the living room, even sits in the bathroom during his showers! When my brother leaves now, the dog cries and follows him everywhere. He has to see my brother drive away in order to maintain some normalcy to his day. His demeanor is so sad for the rest of the day! This dog was a friend of my brother's first, but the dog always tried to leave with my brother when he visited and then cried and cried when he left, so when his friend had to get rid of the dog, he just gave it to my brother. This dog has love so deep for my brother, it's unbeleivable!! The mutt needs my brother. Anybody can raise a dog, but this dog needs my brother for life.

Answer 2

Love is an emotion. I have a link to share with you in my sources about it. I personally feel that animals do understand love, and here is why:
When evacuating for Hurricane Katrina (I live in the New Orleans area), my roommate and I were scrambling to get the car packed. We have three wonderful cats. As we scrambled around, they all ran over and sat next to the carriers, knowing we would not leave them. During the first evacuation with the cats (a year earlier) though, they were panic strickened and very stressed out, almost like they sensed that something was happening, but not sure what to make of it. This time around, they seemed comforted.
Then we came back from that, and six months later, we had to go away for a business trip, for one week. We had someone come over several times a day to spend time with the cats, and to ensure there was feed, water, and that the litter boxes were cleaned. Upon our return, every single cat toy we own was laying in our beds, almost as a reminder that they missed us.

When I have a bad day, or get upsetting news, the cats automatically run to me, and want to cuddle. They understand empathy, it would appear. Scientifically though, their brains do not have short term memory like humans do-- hence the reason when they get into trouble, they go right back and make the same mistake twice, until they are trained not to make the mistake. So they do have short term memory issues, but they do have very good long term memories-- and so do dogs.

As for do dogs understand love-- yes, and their love is the most purest of unconditional love- even if a dog owner is mean and cruel to his pet, the dog will always stand by his master's side and protect him/her. And I am sure that your dog understands when you have a bad day, or are upset-- your dog is the one "person" who will ALWAYS be there for you, without judging, and without criticism.

Your dogs are very lucky to have owners such as yourself and your husband-- your dogs will always know that you will always be there for them, and in return they will always be there for you.

Please see my sources.

Answer 3

Dogs and most animals don't have a concept of time . Yes your dogs are happy to see you when you come home from work. But they don't feel unloved when your gone . Try going out of the house for ten minuets . Come back in . Your dog's are just as happy to see you in ten minuets as they are when you come home after eight hours . Dogs know if you love them. It's not like a human feels love but it is love . If you are treated kind and loving don't you feel love . That's how the dogs feel . Not to worry.

Answer 4

Dogs definitely can feel love. And no, I wouldn't say they feel unloved when you go to work cuz you come back right? And they know you'll be coming back later but they're just sad that you're leaving because that means they'll be lonely. It simply shows that they love you very much. It's like a child when they get separated from their mommy, they tend to cry at first because their sad mommy's leaving but they eventually get over it.

Answer 5

Dogs don't think the way people do - your dogs don't feel at all unloved when you're at work. They're just biding their time till you get home. They definitely do feel loved, though, when you spend time with them and they're getting all that attention.

Answer 6

"I can't think of anything that brings me closer to tears than when my old dog -- completely exhausted after a hard day in the field -- limps away from her nice spot in front of the fire and comes over to where I'm sitting and puts her head in my lap, a paw over my knee, and closes her eyes and goes back to sleep. I don't know what I've done to deserve that kind of friend."
-- Gene Hill
"The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous, is his dog… He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer, he will lick the wounds and sours that come in encounter with the roughness of the world… When all other friends desert, he remains." George G. Vest
"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the very last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion"
--Unknown

If that's not love then I don't know what is.

Answer 7

Do you feel unloved when you are separated from your husband when you are at work?

Love gets renewed and is boosted by daily contact. It doesn't have to be for the whole day.

Answer 8

I don't think they feel unloved, especially when there's two of them. dogs just tend to take life as it comes and are happy with whatever attention they can get.

Answer 9

I think that a dog feels love, and can love you back too. I think that they are smart enough to know that you will still love them when you come back home.

Answer 10

No! they dont feel unloved! They feel lomley. Buts thats ok. Time they dont know. When you come home time is inportant. They need to feel like they matter.Love then with all you have. Thats all thats matters.