A fascinating article I read explored the question, do dogs love us? It suggested that if your dog stares long and hard at you, especially if they are looking into your eyes, the activity can trigger their brain to release two well-known substances. These are dopamine and oxytocin, two chemicals often associated with human happiness and love. With love being defined as that of a mother’s bond for her newborn child.
I've found this to be true with Chloe. For instance, in the evenings when we sit together, with her in one lounge chair, and me in the adjacent La-Z-Boy, she will prop her head on the chair’s arm and gaze at me. Sometimes she will set her head between her paws, her eyes fixed to my every move. Her stare is neither alarming, nor strange, but potentially it’s a sign of our mutual bond, and this is how she expresses her feelings.
It’s an interesting piece of research which may give us a better understanding into dog psychology. For those of us who cherish our dogs, maybe we can also take comfort knowing - or at least thinking - that a dog may reciprocate our love toward them.
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