How do you know a dog loves you?

[AppleBlossomTimeNow]

I've had my rescue dog for nearly a year & he is the light of my life. He is very affectionate & eager to please (but has a cheeky side), and seems happy & settled. But how do you know if a dog loves you? He's my first dog so I'm learning a lot as I go - insights from more experienced dog owners would be really helpful

@troppibambini6 - utter relaxation!

@LoveFall I've only let my dog sleep on my bed a handful of times (Bonfire Night & New Year's Eve etc - he hates fireworks), and he curls up tidily like a cat & sleeps at the bottom of the bed. I think he thinks he has to be on best behaviour!

My rescue likes physical contact, she's affectionate - my favourite is when I'm getting dressed in the morning and standing in front of the wardrobe and she lies on the rug beside me and gently puts one paw on my foot and leaves it there while I'm choosing my clothes.

This is an utterly delightful thread, thank you for starting it!

My boy will put himself into middle between my legs if he's stressed, and checks in with me on big walks with an idiotic spaniel grin. Makes up for the nerviness, the barking and the general bossing me around

@trulyconfuseddotcom so sweet - a gentle paw rest!

What a lovely happy thread. I have 2 girls, Jack Russel and a Yorkie. They follow me everywhere around the house. I find them just watching me even if we are both just chilling in front of TV. Apparently they get really excited when they hear my car or footsteps. When I'm poorly, I have an ongoing condition, they sit with me as close to me as possible. They sneak on my bed at night but I love that. My jack Russel walks behind me nudging my leg with her nose when she wants something. My Yorkie just barks for attention but she knows when I'm feeling a bit rough as she comes next to me and barks as quietly as she can. The one thing that sticks in my mind was nearly 7 years ago we had a major family trauma. I came home late one night and sobbed on my sofa, my poor yorkie sat on my lap with her head in my shoulder and cried too. I felt so guilty I had upset her. She is definitely my shadow! They are 8 and 10 now and I love them so much. Plus they've tolerated 5 cats and 4 rats in the house 🤣

He sounds like a sweetheart

We have clearly defined roles in our house. DS is the fun one who plays chasing games in the garden and tug of war etc, DH does lovely long walks and I do evening cuddles. As soon as I’ve finished my dinner, she herds me to my spot on the sofa (Border Collie!) and she sleeps curled up with me. If I’m late home she’ll sit looking out of the window till I get back. In the mornings she comes and sleeps on our bed, nestled in the crook of my legs with her head resting on my foot. She also sometimes goes to sleep holding my hand. I am completely smitten ❤️

My dog licks the water off my legs when I come out of the shower 😄

He lies with his head in our feet.
He gives us cuddles by curling his neck around our neck.
When I go upstairs, he waits for me at the bottom of the stairs until I come back.
If we go walking down a steep hill, he waits in front of me while I climb down to make sure I’m safe.
He cleans our ears (🤢).

What gorgeous pictures! Such happy, well loved dogs 😘

Dogs have an amazing capacity to live and to forgive us our mistakes. They are basically love on legs ❤️

When you're greeted on returning to the house from a 30 second bin run in the same way you as if you've been gone a couple of hours or been on holiday 😆

This thread is just what I need today after some bad news. From my side, the scrambling to roll onto his back for a belly rub if he's asleep but hears me move. And the excitement when I come home. Even if it's just been 10 minutes

my dog sat next to me adoringly, making beautiful eyes at me, then i noticed my plate was on the table, that was the reason

she does love me, she is so happy when i come home, wants to come out with me, sit next to me

Dogs are amazing. So attuned to who we are & what we need.

My one girl wraps herself around my neck when I’m sat on the sofa and sleeps on the top of my pillow at night. She’s 11kg so not small but she insists.

The other actually smiles at me. Both of them are Velcro dogs and are obsessed with me. They cry tears of joy when I come back from the shop and do what we call ‘fancy bum’.

When dogs aren't allowed into a football ground, so he stays on the other side of the fence with my husband and cries for me even though I'm RIGHT THERE!

Mine follows me everywhere and loves to be touching me if I'm sat on the sofa or in bed.
He wags his tail so much when I get home that half his body is on the go
He demands belly rubs and ear scratches, and if I stop, he headbutts me constantly until I give in.

I recently stayed away overnight for work for a week - when I came back, he wouldn't leave my side for the next week, much to DH's utter disgust

My Lurcher leans on me all the time and rests her chin on the sofa arm making howling noises when she wants too smush up

Mine watches me carefully and as soon as my backside lands on the sofa she launches herself onto my knee, puts her front legs around my neck, head on shoulder and lets out a deep sigh.

@Lorrymum - that sounds fabulous...a doggy clinch!

@DragonMamma - my dog does 'fancy bum' too! Never called it that before though, but will now!

@AppleBlossomTimeNow your dog is just adorable 🐶❤️

It doesn’t matter if I have been at work all day or emptied the bins I get greeted and bowled over by my boys. They fight over who gets more strokes even though I have a hand in each. I get up at 2 am and go for a wee and they come - same for a cuppa in the tea. They sleep as close as they can get snuggled up and deep sighs. If I don’t let them in they lie right outside my bedroom door in a huge pile so they they wake up when I go anywhere. They look not full if I go to go out without them. They lick me and my hands and not just I have food. They look deep in my eyes and sign and go awwwww as they lie on their backs with they paws akimbo and Timmy out.

My two boys lay with me in the bed , one at my feet/legs and the other one literally tucked into me or back to back every night, he will lay his head across my neck when I am asleep to wake me up and the other one will just plonk himself on me . The little look up every now and then on a walk one will give me and I swear he is smiling where as the little one will nudge me on the leg just for a bit of reassurance
I think you know when they want to be with you ... you are simply their whole world :)