Trust is a necessary factor in any strong bond or relationship. When it comes to our loyal canine companions, there’s more to them than obedience and affection. Dogs can communicate trust to their caretakers in a number of subtle and sometimes surprising ways.
These behaviors will show how deep their trust goes with their human companions. There are some unique and sometimes even counterintuitive things that dogs can do when they feel the most comfort and trust.
People who take advantage of these signs can get a richer appreciation for their dog’s emotional world and take their bond to the next level. Be on the lookout for these signs the next time you’re with your dog, and you might be able to tell how much they trust you.
Being Okay With Being Vulnerable
Although dogs are domesticated animals, many of their ancestral and wild traits remain. For example, dogs do not like to show vulnerability to just anyone.
Their survival instincts mean that vulnerability is one way to end up in dangerous situations. Thankfully, our pups know how much we love them, and if they feel especially safe and close to their owner, they will show vulnerability in surprising ways.
A dog lying on their back isn’t just for belly scratches. This position puts their fate entirely in your hands and is the most vulnerable they can be. If your dog also sleeps with their back to you, it shows that they don’t feel threatened by you or their environment.
Eye Contact
It is a well known fact that in the animal kingdom most animals avoid direct eye contact as it is seen as an aggressive or dominant move.
Domestic dogs still have this to an extent, but because of their unique relationship with humans over the last few thousand years, they can recognize our motives and intentions through eye contact.
If your dog looks directly into your eyes for long enough, it will release oxytocin for both parties, which is the “feel good” hormone. This will further strengthen your emotional bond and how that your dog has no doubt about how much you love them.
Gift Giving
Gift-giving isn’t normally a common occurrence in the animal kingdom. Selfishness is normally an evolved trait that ensures survival of the fittest, but canines have a unique pack mentality, where they know to look out for others.
If your dog takes their favorite toy and “gives” it to you out of the blue, it’s more than just playful behavior. Sharing their prized possessions with their pack members, including you, is a way of strengthening social bonds.
This is a canine’s way of giving you a gift, which means they feel very close to you. Dogs can also bring gifts to their owners if they think they are feeling distressed or sad. This shows that your canine has emotional awareness and empathy.
Not Wanting To Be Alone
Since dogs are pack animals, they don’t tend to thrive when they are left alone. This is why dogs will normally try to keep close to their owner.
However, when a dog picks its favorite human, it won’t want to spend a minute away from them. This can often be associated with neediness but shows an intense bond that shows how attached they’ve become.
Dogs may even choose to remain close to their owner or follow them into less comfortable conditions when the alternative could have been remaining in a warm dog bed. Your dog may rely on you and feel like your presence alone shelters and protects them from any harm.
Staying Calm No Matter What
Dogs may be domesticated, but that doesn’t mean that they adapted to everything that human life exposes them to. Many dogs may feel anxious during unfamiliar and loud moments, such as fireworks, thunderstorms, or cars.
If your dog stays calm in these situations due to your presence, then you know that just your company is enough to keep them reassured and calm.
Dogs with strong bonds to their owners have been shown to have lower cortisol levels, which is associated with stress. This calming effect shows the power of trust in a human-dog relationship and that they believe you will steer them away from any threats, should they arrive.
Physical Affection
Your dog may boop you when they want to go outside or paw at you when they want food, but there’s a deeper bond at play when your dog engages in physical touch without any external motivators.
If your dog leans against you or rests their head on your lap, they wants to be as close to you as possible and find your physical touch alone reassuring. Dogs use touch to communicate their feelings and show how comfortable they are around others.
Dogs that trust their owners will go out of their way to make physical contact even without any stimulus such as a treat, a need for attention, or having to go outside – they simply want to feel closure and protection.
They Don’t Struggle
Dogs have a good sense of personal space and do not like feeling trapped. Have you ever noticed how much your dog resists being handled by others, such as an unfamiliar groomer or your local veterinarian?
If you notice that your dog doesn’t put up any kind of fight when you need to handle them, then they trust you completely. Many dogs feel sensitive around their ears, paws, and mouths, and if your dog allows them, then it’s a clear sign of their trust in you.
If your dog lets you fully lock them in place to dry them with a towel or give them a pill, then this shows complete trust. This trust doesn’t come easy and builds over time.
Being Playful
Dogs that partake in playful behavior may not seem like a big deal, but it ultimately means that they feel like a part of your pack. Dogs generally only engage in playful activities when they feel like they are in a safe environment without any chances of danger being present.
Dogs that feel complete trust in their owners will even initiate play by bowing, wagging their tails, or bringing their favorite ball for you to throw for them.
Engaging in play with your dog is a great way to further bond through cooperation and joint activities. Dogs that don’t want to engage in play and remain more reserved may have trust issues with their owners or not feel comfortable in their environment.
Look To You For Guidance
When dogs feel uncomfortable or just in unfamiliar situations, they will depend on a trustworthy person to show them what to do. They will look to their owner for important social cues and how to react when they otherwise would be lost.
Your dogs will watch your own behavior and trust you to be a reliable leader before acting accordingly. An example is your dog looking to you for the “go ahead” before approaching a stranger or walking into an unfamiliar place.
In these situations, they have no doubt that your guidance will lead them to safety. This showcases the sophisticated social intelligence that dogs can have from thousands of years of living with humans.
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