We don’t know for sure, but here’s what science says.

Daily Paws by Austin Cannon

Updated on January 3, 2023

We'd all like to think our dogs love us. We give them our unconditional love, food, and snuggles, but it's not like we can sit them down and reallyask them how they feel. Do dogs really love us? Or are we just mobile treat and food dispensers they tolerate?

We humans do perceive certain dog behaviors as loving—tail-wagging, cuddling—but actual scientists using fMRI machines have detected areal bond between dogs and their human companions.

So worry not, dog owners. You probably aren't in a one-sided relationship. "They really do get something out of their relationship with us thatstarts to look a lot like love," says Leslie Sinn, DVM, DACVB, and member of the Daily Paws Advisory Board

How dogs love us is a matter of perception, Sinn says. They look at our faces and make eye contact. They wag their tails or wiggle their butts aswe walk in the door and present us with toys to play with. They want to sleep next to us.

And unlike other animals, they seek us out for comfort and safety. They follow us around, and some get upset when we leave, even potentially tothe point of separation anxiety.

But those are things we perceive as love, Sinn says. We just don't know for sure. But we do have science helping us better understand.In 2014, Emory University researchers employed an fMRI scan and found that the section of dogs' brains—the caudate nucleus—associated withpositive expectations reacted most strongly to the scent of their familiar humans. (The scents were collected from the humans' sans-deodorantarmpits, so dogs really must love us.)

How dogs love us is a matter of perception, Sinn says. They look at our faces and make eye contact. They wag their tails or wiggle their butts aswe walk in the door and present us with toys to play with. They want to sleep next to us.

And unlike other animals, they seek us out for comfort and safety. They follow us around, and some get upset when we leave, even potentially tothe point of separation anxiety.

But those are things we perceive as love, Sinn says. We just don't know for sure. But we do have science helping us better understand.In 2014, Emory University researchers employed an fMRI scan and found that the section of dogs' brains—the caudate nucleus—associated withpositive expectations reacted most strongly to the scent of their familiar humans. (The scents were collected from the humans' sans-deodorantarmpits, so dogs really must love us.)

There are other signs from outside the brain. Japanese researchers found higher levels of oxytocin—the so-called "love hormone"—in dogs andtheir owners after they spent time looking into each other's eyes. The findings suggest we have a bond with our dogs the same way mothers andinfants have.

Plus, psychologist Clive Wynne, founder of the Canine Science Collaboratory, told The Washington Post that he and his collaborators traineddogs to open a box that had food in it. Once the dogs could open the box, the researchers replaced the food with the dogs' owners, who cried outin distress.

"Under those conditions, pretty much every dog opened the box," Wynne told the newspaper. "That, to me, is a compelling demonstration that dogs really do care if they can understand. If they can figure out what to do, they will."

There are other signs from outside the brain. Japanese researchers found higher levels of oxytocin—the so-called "love hormone"—in dogs andtheir owners after they spent time looking into each other's eyes. The findings suggest we have a bond with our dogs the same way mothers andinfants have.

Plus, psychologist Clive Wynne, founder of the Canine Science Collaboratory, told The Washington Post that he and his collaborators traineddogs to open a box that had food in it. Once the dogs could open the box, the researchers replaced the food with the dogs' owners, who cried outin distress.

"Under those conditions, pretty much every dog opened the box," Wynne told the newspaper. "That, to me, is a compelling demonstration that dogs really do care if they can understand. If they can figure out what to do, they will."

Well, we've spent a few thousand years perfecting the human-dog bond, so it's natural that we've developed some affection for each other, Sinnsays. Plus, they've become more reliant on us—for food, shelter, and comfort—as we've taken over what used to be their ancestral homes.

And there's no question we love them—this website wouldn't exist if that weren't true—so maybe they've started to love us back.