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Do Dogs Love?


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IMO yes, dogs can love. I think we humans are often quite hubristic in thinking that we are the only species that can experience these emotions.

Dogs' brains are similar to our brains, and like us they are a social species that craves companionship. Anyone owning a dog can easily see that the dog can feel emotions such as fear, loneliness, anger, frustration, joy, contentment. Why wouldn't dogs also be able to feel love or affection towards their companions?

I do think that dogs forget more quickly than we do, though (or perhaps they just aren't very good at thinking about things that aren't actually physically there). So when a dog loses a human or canine friend, he doesn't grieve as long as we humans grieve for our lost ones. They forget about the lost friend, and just get on with their lives.

JMO.

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IMO it depends somewhat on how you define the word.

I believe that dogs experience emotions. But they do not have the same kinds of cognitions as us. So the mix of cognition and emotion, no, not the same.

I think yes they can love but not the same as people do. And they are never destructive with it.

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I am so glad they don't love the same way as we do because we destroy so much with what we say is" love "

I am sure they love because I have gone through a lot of trauma the last couple of years and to sit and cry with ywo dogs licking away your tears as they fall brings a smile to your face and THAT SORT of Love is unbeatable don't you agree . Glorybea

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;) This is whats going on in the stafford thread! people can check it out... i have been saying all along dogs can love and it seems like everyone here is always saying it, while shoemonster is unsure / doesnt think dogs love well this is how i am taking it.

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just wanted to add.... i think it is very sad for someone to feel and think that dogs dont love, not having a go its just staffords are sooooo loving and caring its heartbreaking to hear you have not experineced the love staffords give, its all about taking time to get to know your dogs getting to know them outside of doing training showing etc. fair enough bounding while doing all this stuff but there is a great sense of joy with playing game laying in bed giving your dog a hug giving kisses etc. i guess i am just different i have grown up my whole life with the love of dogs.

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I have never had dogs, or even known dogs until now

The reason I asked was because of a lot of reading about human emotions being put on animals, and of people treating their pets as humans

As I said in the other thread, I am happy to be wrong about this

That said, Eddie and Molly snuggle up to me in bed everyday, trust me Kayla, I am not lacking any form of affection from my dogs ;)

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you say Eddie and Molly snuggle up to me in bed everyday.... this is love! and your saying dogs dont love ;) i have not said dogs love the same way as humans but for sure they can love... dogs love us and are there for us no matter what! the love dogs give us everyday is truely amazing!!

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I guess that is what i meant, that it is not the same as human love

I really need to get better at wording things lol

A few times I have posted stuff on here, about the dogs, and been told "not to put human emotions on dogs" now I do the opposite and I'm still wrong ;)

This dog mind understanding is too hard!

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if what dogs feel is loyality --what is loyality???

it is faithfulness, devotion, thats the dictionary version

that will do me until something better comes along ,I am sure we all love and receive love from our dogs and as humans they all show their love in different ways all we have to do is enjoy .

Glorybea

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IMO love is a label. Nobody has the ultimate definition for it. Dogs do things when they interact with us. If some of those things appear to be love to you, then call it love.

The danger is when we assume that they do all the other things that people do, that is, the scheming, lying, deceit, and all of those things.

If we just take what they give us moment by moment and realise that they can be nothing but genuine, some of it we call love, then I see no problems.

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