Dogs are well known to be among the most affectionate pets that someone can own, and one pet owner has shared six key signs that indicate they truly love you.
In a TikTok video uploaded on July 1 by @yoshi_bichonfrise, a 3-year-old Bischon Frise named Yoshi showers their owner with affection and care in the form of kisses and longing looks.
Yoshi’s owner claims in the adorable clip that these traits are among the list of signs that reveal you are (hopefully) your dog’s favorite person and a top pet trainer who spoke to Newsweek happens to agree:
- They bring you their toys.
- They follow you everywhere.
- They lick you a lot.
- They love to lean on you.
- They excitedly wag their tail when you enter the room.
- They always stare at you even when you’re not looking.
File photo of a Bichon Frise. A TikToker shared 6 signs your dog truly loves you, including bringing you their toys.
Wirestock/Getty Images
Since being shared on TikTok, the video has attracted 6.8 million views and more than 693,900 likes.
It is not surprising that content featuring dogs performs well online, as the United States is a nation filled with pet lovers. Forbes estimates 86.9 million homes across the U.S. own at least one pet. Dogs are the most popular pet in the country, with 65.1 homes owning at least one, followed by cats, with 46.5 million owning at least one.
Joe Nutkins, dog training instructor and co-director at the United Kingdom-based Dog Training for Essex and Suffolk, said she backed the points made in the video.
“I agree with the video creator that the 6 things their dog is doing do show a really lovely close bond with the owner, which is our interpretation of dogs loving us. Even I joke regularly that my Norwich Terrier Merlin ‘loves his mum,'” Nutkins said.
“Licking our arms, hands, and even faces sometimes can be referred to as ‘kisses’—from our dogs’ perspective, they are licking for the taste or for the licking action which can be soothing,” she continued.
“Dogs will also lick their paws, mats, the sofa, doors, and much more. However, for some dogs that are shy, quiet, or sensitive a gentle licking of our arm while they are next to us can be a sign of trusting their caregiver and using the licking to interact in a way they are comfortable with.”
Pet expert Susan Nilson, of the Los Angeles-based The Cat And Dog House, said she also agreed with many of the traits highlighted in the clip but warned that “staring can be a hostile behavior, but only when it’s a hard stare. When the stare is soft, like in the video, it’s another bonding mechanism.”
“Research shows that when dogs stare into human eyes with their puppy-dog eyes, again, it activates the release of oxytocin. So both dogs and humans get a flood of that feel-good hormone,” Nilson told Newsweek.
Licking our arms, hands, and even faces sometimes can be referred to as ‘kisses’
Joe Nutkins
“A loosely wagging tail in a quick circular manner is almost always a sign of friendliness and a desire to engage. However, the direction of the tail wag is also important,” she said.
“Studies tell us that when dogs are feeling happy or confident, they tend to wag their tails more to the right side. But when they are scared, the tail tends to wag more to the left side.
“So you’d have to look at the dog’s overall body language and the context of the situation to be absolutely sure. It’s usually pretty obvious when your dog is pleased to see you and wants to be with you.”
Newsweek reached out to @yoshi_bichonfrise via TikTok for comment.
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