While you might tell your dog every single day that you love them, they are unable to ever say it back. But our four-legged friends have their own ways of expressing their emotions, and when you know how to read their body language, it's easy to tell if they're sad, angry or in love.
Carolyn Menteith, animal behaviourist at tails.com, shares the tell-tale signs your dog really loves you, so you'll never question their feelings again. Carolyn told the Mirror : "Love is pretty easy to spot in most dogs because almost every part of your dog's body language expresses how they are feeling.
"Their eyes are soft and gentle when they look at you, and almost seem to be in soft focus with none, or very little, of the whites of the eyes showing. They may even close slightly in pleasure.
"Their forehead and eyebrows are relaxed, and their ears are either floppy or else moving forward and back, also in a gentle and relaxed way."
Aside from their eyes, ears and eyebrows, you can also spot your dog's love in their smile.
"While dogs don't generally smile like we do, a dog around the person they love will have loose lips, no tension around the mouth and their mouth will most likely be close," Carolyn explained.
"When it comes to their body, they are moving fluidly and with a bit of a swing to them. Again, there is no stiffness anywhere in their back or legs, just a bit of a joyful bounce," Carolyn said.
They might be an excitable puppy and jump around or stay relaxed and sprawled in your company - "it depends on your dog and how they show their love".
Of course, we cannot forget a wagging tail either, though you need to read their whole body language with it.
"When a dog is with someone they love, their tail is usually at mid height and is either swinging about in rhythm with the movements of their body, or it is being deliberately wagged from side to side," Carolyn said.
"Even when a dog is wagging ecstatically though, the tail is still relaxed and not stiff."
If you are worried that your dog doesn't love you, Carolyn advises talking to a behaviourist about it.
"Once you have really looked at the body language of a loving dog, you will always be able to recognise it," she added.
"Even if the dog is bouncing around or contentedly sleeping beside you, the key words are fluid and relaxed… relaxed eyes, relaxed ears, relaxed mouth, relaxed body, relaxed wag."
Do you have a dog story to share? Email nia.dalton@reachplc.com.
