Why Are Dogs So Loyal? – (Dog Loyalty 101)

When it comes to loyalty and devotion, you and I can both attest to the fact that human beings aren’t exactly the best in that field. In between a small fight that gets blown way out of proportion, a miscommunication here and there and some things we may say at the heat of the moment to one another, one too many relationships are broken and before you know it, best friends turn into strangers.

But it just never seems to be that way with dogs. We see it all the times in viral videos shared on social media online, in movies as parts of a story, and even in its rawest form in real life, happening to us or people we know.

There are tons of videos that go viral on social media about dogs who refuse to “move on with their life” and just sit there laying next to their late owner’s grave for years on end, or heartwarming videos that show just how ecstatic a dog becomes at the sight of their owner coming back home from work each and every single day.

So, what’s the secret to all of this?

One question we’ve all asked ourselves at one point in life is, why are dogs so loyal to us? What did we ever do to deserve this loyalty? Is this something all dogs share in common or is it much more amplified in some dogs than it is in others? Is this something special to only dogs or is this loyalty also present in other animals that get domesticated as pets?

Before your mind takes you on a whirlwind of never ending questions about this, this is why we’ve put together this article that aims to inform you about all mankind’s findings up till today about dogs and the way their minds are wired, findings that answer this question and much more.

Why Dog Loyalty Is Not About Benefits

A huge misconception exists out there about dogs’ loyalty to their owners, which basically states that the only reason dogs are loyal and devoted to their owners are because they’re the ones who give them the means to survive in life.

Whether that be the dog food or water their bodies need to survive, the roof under their head we supply them with, the toys we give them to play with, etc ..

Some people believe that our dogs love us and are loyal to us just because we’re the ones who give them all these “benefits”. And as soon as we stop giving them these “benefits”, the love, devotion and loyalty all soon goes away.

This could not be any farther from the truth, though, so allow us to explain why exactly by asking a counter-question.

Why is it exactly that even when separated from their owners for years on end without seeing each other, for whatever reason that may be, the dog displays the same (if not more) amount of affection, love and devotion to its owner as soon as the two re-meet?

While its owner was gone away for all these years, the dog was being fed, groomed, given toys to play with, and just generally taken care of by other people.

So logic would say that while they’ve been away for all this time, all the loyalty, love and devotion the dog used to hold towards its owner has now been lost out on.

Obviously, though, this isn’t the case, not with the hundreds of real life examples that prove it isn’t the case even after years of separation from one another. So, if you’ve ever had any doubt that your dog loves you and is loyal to you only because of “benefits” they get from you, be more than sure that this is not the case.

If there was ever a form of pure, unconditional love that knows no form of benefits or “what’s in it for me”, it’s the love a dog holds towards its owner.

This doesn’t mean that dogs can’t sense and know who’s taking care of them and giving them a means for life, though. They love you for that, that’s for sure, but it’s not the only reason they’re loyal to you.

Sense Of Belonging

When it comes down to the real reason of why dogs are loyal to us, it’s because of their sense of belonging. Dogs feel like they belong to you and you belong to them, and this feeling can almost never be broken.

This is exactly how dogs feel like when they’re still in the wild – this urge to “belong” to a pack of dogs that they can feel they’re an important part of.

When no longer left in the wild and domesticated instead, this same urge to “belong” remains with them, but is now projected upon you instead of a pack of dogs they often roll with in the wilderness. And this bond and feeling of belonging to you and you belonging to them, they will carry with them throughout their entire life.

At the end of the day, dogs are creatures with a huge amount of love inside of them just waiting to be given to and shared with the right owner. If you treat your dog the right way, give them the affection they strive for and properly take care of them, they’ll show you that love, affection and devotion right back, tenfold.

The more time you spend with them, the more effort you put in participating in activities such as play time or exercise that grow the bond with you two, the more that sense of belonging will grow and the stronger that bond will become.

Do Not Abuse This Privilege 

The most important part of all of this is that you should never ever abuse this loyalty privilege that you’ve been blessed with. One too many dog owners abuse it and take it for granted, while they don’t deserve a fraction of it in their life.

With time, and depending on the kind of person you are and how you act around your dog, you may very well end up losing this privilege.

People that scold their dogs on a frequent basis, be that through verbal means such as yelling or even through physical means, are achieving nothing but destroying the relationship they once had with their dog and the loyalty and love their dog once used to hold towards them.

Moreover, more than one study has been conducted to find out which type of people dogs are more attracted towards, and the majority of these studies found out that dogs are much more attracted towards positive people that have positive vibes to them instead of people that have negative vibes to them.

Be a positive person in life who emits positive vibes, both around people in your life and around your dog when you spend time with them, and you’re on the right track to preserve the loyalty, love and devotion your dog holds towards you.