Dog trainer explains how to tell if your pet loves you or just tolerates you
The expert shared the five signs that show your dog 'loves you' - and dozens of pet owners have weighed in.
Owning a pet is no walk in the park. The mere thought of expensive vet bills could give anyone pause, yet the affection a pet can offer is priceless.
But dogs have long held the title of humankind's best friend, with the bond between them and their owners truly remarkable. When a dog loves a human, it shows unwavering loyalty and affection.
For owners though, one question posed by a dog trainer has stirred up quite the debate: 'Does your pet love or just tolerate you?'
This is a matter of canine behaviour, as highlighted by well-known dog trainer Enric Rodriguez.
He has pinpointed specific behaviours that reveal whether your relationship with your furry friend is built on genuine trust or simply revolves around you being their meal ticket, reports the Express.
In a TikTok video, Enric says: "Trust is not earned with food alone but with safe and consistent experiences. Here are some clear signs that your dog trusts you. First, it looks for you when it doesn't feel safe.
"If something scares it, it goes to you to feel safer. Second, it sleeps deeply near you."
Enric points out, if your dog is at ease beside you, it shows genuine trust. Thirdly, if your pooch is happy being handled.
"If it lets you touch its paws, ears, belly, it indicates that it feels comfortable with you. Does it pay attention to you even without food?"
"That's a sign you mean more than just treats. Fifth, does it follow you without being called?"
Your pet's attachment to you isn't necessarily due to anxiety but because it cherishes your presence. These subtle behaviours often reflect a bond formed with respect, patience, and consistency.
In the comments section, pet owners were keen to share their own tales. One user confessed: "My puppy doesn't like me he wants to bite me all day long."
Another shared their unique challenge: "Everything except not letting you touch his paws or ears because!!!"
A third disclosed: "Hello! I have a 1-year-and-2-month-old dog with serious separation anxiety issues. He cries when he's alone, and even if I lock myself in a room, he'll eat anything when he's alone.."
Yet, amidst the struggles, some comments reflected happier experiences. One person described a content scene: "Mine is currently lying on the sofa at my feet, belly up, and the lady is snoring."
And another added a note of affection with a hint of humour: "My Chihuahua meets all the points mentioned in the video, so I deduce that he loves me. Of course, if he's resting and I try to pick him up, he gets aggressive, and if he's snuggled up with my mother, even more so."
According to the study, a dog's heart rate increases by 46.2 percent when they hear the words "I love you."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Rhyl Journal
an hour ago
- Rhyl Journal
Aryna Sabalenka: TikTok dance was key to thawing relationship with Iga Swiatek
World number one Sabalenka and four-time champion Iga Swiatek will meet in a blockbuster French Open semi-final on Thursday. It will be the first time the duo, who have been jousting at the top of the rankings for the past three years, have played each other at a grand slam since the 2022 US Open. They barely used to speak until an impromptu bonding session at last year's WTA Finals in Riyadh. 'Before it wasn't any communication, any practices with her, but now we are getting better,' said 27-year-old Sabalenka. 'We get along better and we practice more often and we know each other quite well. 'I think everything started when I just came to her and asked to do a TikTok in Riyadh. We just did, like, a little dance together. 'Since that, we were like 'OK, maybe we can communicate, we can be good to each other, we can practice sometimes'. 'So I think that was the first step to a better relationship.' The blossoming friendship will be put on hold when Belarusian Sabalenka continues her bid for a first Roland Garros title against the player who has won her last 26 matches at the French Open. Sabalenka has reached the semi-finals in nine of the last 10 grand slams she has competed at after battling past Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng 7-6 (3) 6-3. It was a shame that the match between two top WTA stars began at 11am, meaning there were hundreds of empty seats around the vast Court Philippe-Chatrier. Semis: this way 👉👉#RolandGarros — Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 3, 2025 The scheduling of women's matches has been a hot topic again this fortnight, and Sabalenka said: 'I agree it was a big match and probably would make more sense to put us a little bit later just so more people could watch it.' Swiatek's patchy form since winning the title last year has seen her slip to number five in the rankings, but the 24-year-old from Poland remains the player to beat in Paris after a 6-1 7-5 quarter-final victory over Ukrainian 13th seed Elina Svitolina. The second semi-final will be decided on Wednesday with Coco Gauff taking on fellow American Madison Keys and Russian sixth seed Mirra Andreeva facing the French Open surprise package, world number 361 Lois Boisson.
North Wales Chronicle
an hour ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Aryna Sabalenka: TikTok dance was key to thawing relationship with Iga Swiatek
World number one Sabalenka and four-time champion Iga Swiatek will meet in a blockbuster French Open semi-final on Thursday. It will be the first time the duo, who have been jousting at the top of the rankings for the past three years, have played each other at a grand slam since the 2022 US Open. They barely used to speak until an impromptu bonding session at last year's WTA Finals in Riyadh. 'Before it wasn't any communication, any practices with her, but now we are getting better,' said 27-year-old Sabalenka. 'We get along better and we practice more often and we know each other quite well. 'I think everything started when I just came to her and asked to do a TikTok in Riyadh. We just did, like, a little dance together. 'Since that, we were like 'OK, maybe we can communicate, we can be good to each other, we can practice sometimes'. 'So I think that was the first step to a better relationship.' The blossoming friendship will be put on hold when Belarusian Sabalenka continues her bid for a first Roland Garros title against the player who has won her last 26 matches at the French Open. Sabalenka has reached the semi-finals in nine of the last 10 grand slams she has competed at after battling past Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng 7-6 (3) 6-3. It was a shame that the match between two top WTA stars began at 11am, meaning there were hundreds of empty seats around the vast Court Philippe-Chatrier. Semis: this way 👉👉#RolandGarros — Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 3, 2025 The scheduling of women's matches has been a hot topic again this fortnight, and Sabalenka said: 'I agree it was a big match and probably would make more sense to put us a little bit later just so more people could watch it.' Swiatek's patchy form since winning the title last year has seen her slip to number five in the rankings, but the 24-year-old from Poland remains the player to beat in Paris after a 6-1 7-5 quarter-final victory over Ukrainian 13th seed Elina Svitolina. The second semi-final will be decided on Wednesday with Coco Gauff taking on fellow American Madison Keys and Russian sixth seed Mirra Andreeva facing the French Open surprise package, world number 361 Lois Boisson.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Food critic sparks backlash after blasting cafe for selling out of sandwiches before he could review it for his 14,000 TikTok followers: 'This is the second time'
A TikTok food reviewer has faced a barrage of backlash after he unleashed a scathing tirade on a newly-opened cafe for running out of food before he could try it. Lifestyle blogger John-Ray Boukarim visited a newly-opened cafe located in Sydney 's Inner West. This was the second time Mr Boukarim went to the cafe and to his disappointment he was unable to review the food as the cafe had run out of bread for their sandwiches. Mr Boukarim explained he had planned his whole day around visiting the cafe to review the food for 'no gain other than boosting their business'. In an expletive-laden rant shared on TikTok with his 14,000 followers, Mr Boukarim slammed the owners for not knowing how to run a business. 'Listen, tell me how the f*** you open up a business,' he said. 'You think you would have your operation under control knowing what stock levels you would need in order to keep up with the demand, yet you still finish and run out of food an hour or two before you shut. 'This is the second time I've come here to do a food review and you've run out of food. In a rant shared to his TikTok account nillasjourney, Mr Boukarim slammed the owners of a newly-opened cafe for running out of bread before he could review their sandwiches 'F*** off, and stop wasting my time. Don't open up a business unless you know how to run it. Like seriously. These idiots. "Oh we sold out" How do you sell out bro!' Mr Boukarim added in the caption he and about ten other customers missed out on ordering food. He suggested the owners 'up' their bread quantities and if they do not sell out by the end of the day, they should donate the excess to charity. 'I guarantee ya selling an extra 15 sandwiches (and keeping customers happy) vs giving away 15 to 25 pieces of bread (if you didn't sell them) completely outweighs the stand alone bread cost,' Mr Boukarim wrote. Social media users disagreed with Mr Boukarim's rant, with many claiming he should have just visited the cafe earlier. 'If you want good fresh food, rule of thumb never show up 2 hours before closing. people need to wash/ clean / prep and go home to their families too just like you and I,' one wrote. 'That's just not how it works cuzzy. If they sold out that means they're doing something right. You have the right to be upset but maybe go earlier next time,' a second person commented. A third person chimed: 'You'd think you'd learn your lesson and go earlier the second time'. Others slammed the food reviewer for claiming the owner did not know how to run a business, claiming he was the one who lacked understanding of a cafe's logistics. 'I understand that frustration however, sometimes they can physically order as much as their establishments can store/make in their kitchen,' one commented. 'At my business because I'm a one woman show, once I'm completely out, I'm out. No stock left. Plus I have no storage to keep excess amount of food. I prefer my customers to eat fresh food daily,' a second person added. A third person wrote: 'They have only been open for four weeks and you think they should have it down pact exactly how much stock they need? 'Even a business that is 15 years old might have weeks they weren't expecting and can be sold out. 'If you've ever run a food business you would know to prevent wastage, you prepare for expected sales only.' A fourth chimed: 'You need to consider how much space they actually have to store meat or anything that needs to be refrigerated and space to hold dry stock. 'It's not as easy as everyone thinks it is. I'm sure they would of loved to make more money rather then sell out... sometimes it's better to sell out and not exhaust yourself out, and still be able to give your best the next day to customers.' Mr Boukarim replied to some of the comments claiming the video was a way for him to express himself and that 'for the most part' he was 'just taking the piss'.
