As man’s best friend, some dog behaviors are well known but may not mean what we think they do. Interpreting dog behavior is not as easy as we think, and we rarely notice the kind of acts our dogs thrust upon us. These acts of kindness highlight dogs’ remarkable emotional intelligence and encourage a deeper appreciation for how they enrich our lives daily.
1. The Empathetic Gaze
Dogs are known to stare deeply at their humans. This soulful gaze is often interpreted as empathy. However, dogs tend to interpret human emotions through eye contact, so these empathetic gazes are a form of emotional support that mirrors the emotions their humans are displaying. As an easy-to-overlook behavior, it also challenges our understanding of dogs’ primary motivation, such as food or play, for certain behaviors.
2. Sharing Food
Research indicates that dogs demonstrate unselfish kindness by sharing food with familiar companions without expecting anything in return. This indicates the strong social bonds that dogs form with each other. Sharing food with pairs, which mirrors our own selfless behaviors, contradicts the idea that animals act solely out of self-interest.
3. Protective Instinct
Dogs often position themselves between their owners and perceived threats, a behavior stemming from their protective instincts. This subtle act of kindness (and intent to protect) is frequently overlooked as a cute personality trait. It illustrates their loyalty and desire to keep their humans safe, challenging the notion that dogs are solely playful companions.
4. Mirroring Human Emotions
Dogs have an uncanny ability to mirror their humans’ emotions, a phenomenon known as emotional contagion. For instance, when a person is anxious or stressed, their dog may exhibit similar behaviors, such as pacing or whining. This remarkable ability to share in human emotions reveals an unexpected depth to canine kindness. It shows a deep connection between the dog and their human that can only develop over time.
5. Gentle Nudge
A cute but sometimes annoying behavior is the gentle nudging and pawing behavior in dogs. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that this is attention-seeking behavior, but it can also be a subtle way for your dog to check in on your well-being, showing a genuine concern for you that goes unnoticed.
6. Using Their Breath to Bring Calm
Dogs are often found lying with their heads on their humans’ laps, bodies, and legs. This might come across as a needy, co-dependent behavior, but it is their attempt to help steady your breathing if they sense emotional distress. As they breathe, your body will unconsciously respond and breathe, resetting and calming your nervous system.
7. Bringing Toys to Share
We often think that when we bring their toys to us, our dogs show that it’s play time and want to have fun. While this is sometimes the case, it is also a sign of trust and love. Dogs are known to treasure specific toys, and offering one to their humans shows that they consider them part of their pack, their inner circle, by entrusting something they love to their humans.
8. The Healing Lick
Dogs seem to love licking humans – theirs and strangers alike. So, what is the motivation behind this behavior? There are a couple of things that prompt dogs to lick. They lick wounds and injuries to help foster quicker healing and provide comfort, and they tend to lick crying faces as a sign of comfort and concern – the canine way of wiping tears away.
9. Identifying Human Needs
As mentioned, dogs are sensitive to human emotions and can often gravitate towards lonely or sad individuals to offer much-needed companionship. This behavior showcases their empathy and loyalty, displaying an uncanny talent to provide silent companionship that encourages social connection.
10. Sharing the Joy
A happy dog will almost always bring happiness to their human companions. Their enigmatic happiness can be contagious and likely ensures you are happy. A wagging tail, playful and enthusiastic greeting is an outward display of their affection for their humans and could try to distract you from any negative feelings they might sense in you. This behavior shows their ability to quickly assess emotion and express their own feelings at the same time.
11. Acts of Forgiveness and Unconditional Love
Dogs offer unconditional love and acceptance, reminding us of our worth regardless of our flaws or mistakes. Additionally, dogs quickly forgive bad human behavior – intention or otherwise. This profound aspect of canine companionship and forgiveness is often taken for granted but represents one of the purest forms of kindness and is something we can learn from.
12. Creating Safe Spaces
By curling up next to their humans, lying on them, or standing against their legs, dogs create a physical barrier against stressors from the outside world, providing a safe haven that fosters emotional security. Using their body weight, they can comfort and provide stress relief to their humans—a subtle but significant act of kindness that enhances human mental well-being and, by extension, the well-being of dogs.
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