A Dog Will Be Faithful To You Until The Last Beat Of Your Heart

That dogs are our loyal friends is a long-established truth. Stories and examples of his nobility of feelings abound. To say that a dog will be faithful to you until the last beat of your heart, and even after you have died, is not a nonsense. The question, in any case, is: why are these animals related to humans in this particular way?

How do dogs feel love?

In the world of science, which is sometimes quite far from the palpable and everyday reality, the waters are divided.

While some researchers argue that dogs are capable of feeling a strong attachment to people, others point out that they act out of mere interest.

It happens that the dog, like us, has a kind of pleasure center in its brain, which gives it pleasant sensations. In addition, it secretes oxytocin, which is a hormone that, in humans, is related to love circuits and happiness.

But these data are not enough for scientists to respond in a unified way to the question: is a dog capable of feeling love?

Humans and dogs united by oxytocin

Let’s start from the basis that both dogs and humans share part of the chemistry that explains love, since both species secrete oxytocin.

However, for some researchers, this does not fully explain whether dogs love us or simply want something from us and they learned that they can get it by acting in a faithful and loving way.

For example, the scientist and veterinarian Fred Metzger, from the University of Pennsylvania, in the United States, maintains that dogs do not feel love in the same way as a person.

Love and rewards

Thus, Metzger ranks among those who view with skepticism the love that dogs offer their owners. His opinion is that  dogs give affection to humans for the sole purpose of obtaining a reward.

According to this reasoning, the animal knows that if it does a trick or a grace to please its owner, it is very possible that it will get a reward:

• Words of encouragement
• Petting
• Toys
• An appetizing snack

Questioning fidelity

Metzger concludes that a dog quickly learns to relate that the more affection he manages to arouse in his master, the greater the reward.

Also, Metzler dares to question that the dog’s much-touted loyalty to its owner is disinterested.

To support this point, he challenges us to prove what would happen if we left our furry for a while in the care of another family that treats him with the same consideration as us. He answers himself: he will love them as much as his owners.

The dog will be faithful to you because he loves you

But interested or not, the bonds that are created between humans and pets are of great intensity. Anyone who has a furry friend can attest to that.

If personal experience is not enough, to refute Metzger we can cite a study published in the Journal of Comparative Psychology, where it is indicated that dogs feel a real and uninterested affection for humans.

According to the conclusions of a team led by neurologist Michael Hennessey, the love that a dog experiences for the people who care for it is more intense than that it feels for its peers, even for its littermates.

“The stories record more examples of loyalty from dogs than from friends.”

-Alexander Pope-

Loyal old friends

Beyond scientific research, the testimonies of love and fidelity of our four-legged friends multiply and repeat over time :

• Dogs that spend the rest of their lives on the grave of their owners
• Little animals that have been lost or stolen and travel great distances to return home.
• Dogs that wait in vain for their deceased masters at the door of a hospital or go daily to look for him at a train station or a bus stop.
• Pets that do not hesitate to risk their lives to defend their loved ones.

Do you have any doubts about the fidelity of your furry?