Can dogs really love us?


Dogs, like people in love, secrete the love hormone when they are close to a human they love

Can a dog fall in love with a person? Do dogs have sincere love towards the humans with whom they share their lives? Or is it more of an interested love, seeking reward in the form of food and other prizes? Those who have ever lived with a dog do not doubt that their love is real and sincere. This same opinion is shared by many scientists, since dogs, like people in love, secrete the so-called love hormone when they are in the company of a loved human being . However, others doubt that canine loving is so disinterested. Both positions are reflected in this article.


Can Your Dog Really Love You?

Dogs release oxytocin, called the love hormone, when they are around a loved one

Do dogs really love us? Can dogs love us? Those who have ever lived with one will almost certainly answer this question in the affirmative. Few people who have shared their life with a dog doubt that they have feelings, or that they are also very intense.

The love that the dog feels for people is usually stronger than the feelings that arise towards his brothers, puppies of his litter.

This neurologist has studied the feelings that these animals develop towards the people with whom they live. What’s the score? The dog loves us, feels a real affection for us, which goes beyond specific interests.


The love hormone also affects dogs

The oxytocin is called the hormone of love, because it is associated with pleasure, and is responsible for the crushes between people. The surprise for many may be to know that not only humans have it, because dogs also secrete oxytocin. This powerful substance triggers brain circuits in dogs, which are associated with pleasant sensations, and could therefore explain the strong feelings of love that they are capable of feeling towards people.

Dogs, like us, produce this love hormone when they are close to someone they love. The dog loves us, and its love switch is activated in a very similar way to what happens in people in love, and this is a consequence of the increasingly social and humanized character of the dog.

Moreover, the intoxicating effects of dog love do not take long to arrive when the loved one is nearby : just ten minutes later, dogs and people in love experience a similar increase in their blood levels of oxytocin.

When a dog loves a person, it releases oxytocin, and this hormone helps it to further strengthen its attachment to us.


Fall in love with a dog? Canine love skeptics

Love switches for dogs and people in love work in much the same way.

Not all scientists, however, are so clear that dog love is so disinterested.  Dogs are not capable of loving in the same way as people.

Does the dog love us or is it just looking for something from us? The dog does not take long to learn that the greater the affection he manages to arouse in us, the greater his compensation in the form of caresses, edible prizes or games.

And you, what do you think? Can dogs really love us? You can share your opinion in the comment section. Thanks!


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