16 Weird Things Dogs Do When They Love You: Vet-Reviewed Behavior & Facts

Weird is the word when it comes to our pups! It seems that they’re always doing something to entertain us that’s either extremely cute, hilarious, or even questionable.

Each dog has their own love language, so they will express themselves very differently because of that. We have made a list of all the kinds of crazy things our pups do to get our attention and show us affection.

The 16 Weird Things Dogs Do When They Love You

1. Dogs Might Give You Gifts

Some dogs like to bring gifts to their owners. Whether it is a stick they found in the yard or their favorite toy, they come up, stand at your feet, and present you with their prize. All they need is your acceptance.

Some dogs will freely give away the toy or item, while others want to keep a hold of it. Some dogs present a “look what I found” gift, while others just want you to accept their good tidings.

2. Dogs Might Invite You to Play

Dogs invite us to play in a number of ways. Some of them might start squeaking a fun toy to get your attention. Others might stand in front of you with their butts in the air, barking with anticipation. No matter how your pup invites you to play, it can be a surefire sign that they sure do love you!

3. Dogs Might Talk to You

Some dogs are much chattier than others. Sometimes, it really might feel like they are speaking directly to you. If only we could decode dogs! Interestingly, we might be able to do that. Owners are starting to train their dogs with voice pads and buttons that speak words when pressed.

Soon, we might be looking at a real-life situation from Disney’s Up. It just depends on how technology advances over the years. Imagine all the things that your chatty dog will have to say.

4. Dogs Might Put Their Paw on Your Leg

Sometimes, your dog might come up, sit down in front of you, and gently place their paw on your leg. They sit there with their little eyebrows twitching and their eyes darting back and forth to see if you have noticed yet.

This is a very sweet and sure-fire way to know that your dog loves you and just wants you to acknowledge them.

5. Dogs Might Put All Their Body Weight Against You

Some dogs have no concept of personal space. They might just lay their entire body up against you, putting all of their weight on you, no matter how large they might be. If you have a big old lapdog on your hands, we wish you luck keeping your balance on a daily basis!

If you think you’re getting up from the couch, that’s going to be pretty hard to do if you have 100 pounds pinning you to the cushions.

6. Dogs Might Nuzzle You

Have you ever had your dog go under your leg or arm and nuzzle you to try to get you to pet them? If so, this is a definite sign that they want affection and attention. Isn’t it obvious?

7. Dogs Might Rub Their Face on You

If your dog rubs their face on you, they might be doing it for several reasons. While some believe that dogs rub their scent on you to send a clear message to other dogs, this behavior is more likely to be simply an indication of love and affection. Your dog trusts you and wishes to express it and be closer to you by initiating physical contact.

8. Dogs Might Love Bite You

Dogs might love bite you to show you affection. This is usually when they nip at you with their front teeth, and sometimes it can kind of hurt! Another term for this would be flea bagging. It’s very adorable, even though it might pinch!

Other dogs take a wider-mouth approach. Some dogs can stick your entire hand in their mouth and just hang onto it. Rest assured, this is a sign of love, provided that they aren’t being aggressive.

9. Dogs Might Shove Others Out of the Way

If your dog is one jealous boy or girl, they might shove everybody else out of the way just to be the first in line for your attention. Often, they will bulldoze over smaller dogs or weasel their way under bigger dogs to get first dibs.

10. Dogs Might Protect You

Some dogs are quick to jump to your aid. If they think that their human is being threatened, they will be the first to jump to your defense. Some dogs are more protective than others. If more docile dogs think you’re being hurt, they might try to come in between you and the person hurting you.

More aggressive dogs, however, won’t have any tolerance for someone mistreating you. You likely know the category your dog falls under. This protective instinct is part of the pack mentality and definitely means they adore you.

11. Dogs Might Hide Behind You

If you have a smaller dog that looks to you for guidance and protection, they might hide behind you instead of protecting you. If they are scared or uncertain about their environment, they might tuck behind your legs as a means to protect themselves.

They know that you are going to take care of them and ensure that whatever threat is around is not going to hurt them. This is a signal of trust and definitely of love.

12. Dogs Might Lick You Obsessively

Some dogs just can’t control their tongues. They will lick your hand, lick your arm, your face, or whatever other body part they can get a hold of. While we might not so much love sloppy kisses, it’s certainly a way for our dogs to communicate affection to us.

13. Dogs of Any Size May Try to Climb on Your Lap

Dogs don’t care how big they are. And their hearts are always still your very little puppy. Even if you have a full-size Great Dane, you can bet you’re going to get a lap sitting every once in a while. This is a way to feel close to you and connected, so it’s a surefire way to verify that they love you even if they’re crushing you to bits.

14. Dogs Might Stare at You

If your dog is just sitting there, staring at you, waiting to be acknowledged, this is a sign that they want your approval. They are waiting for you to notice that they’re sitting there with an ever so pitiful look on their face because you are the center of their world!

15. Dogs Might Insist on Standing Between Your Legs

Your dog might go underneath your legs, as if you’re riding a horse. This is a way for them to feel a little cradled by you. Dogs don’t care how tall you are! They will try to weasel their way in there, no matter what.

16. Dogs Might Try to Climb Inside of Your Body

Let’s face it. Some dogs want to be so close to you, and that’s all there is to it! They want to be close to you so much that they would literally climb inside of your body, and they still wouldn’t be close enough! We all know pups who show love like this—and it’s the best!

Conclusion

So, that’s just a brief summary of all the weird ways our dogs show affection. Your dog will have their own special way of showing you how much you mean to them—which is a heck of a lot! What does your dog do to show you they love you?

Featured Image Credit: Bachkova Natalia, Shutterstock