Can animals love their owners?

[Kfamr]

My Biology teacher, whom I don't have the greatest liking of, says that animals can't actually love their owners. This is her opinion, not a fact.. which to me her opinions mean nothing, since she always seems to think her opinions are factual.

Anyways, what do you think? Can animals love their owners?




In my opinion, I think they can. I think it's complete B.S. when she says they can't. I'm not sure about everyone else, but I can feel love between my dogs and I. And If it's not love, then I have no idea what it is.

If it's not love, what is it? What makes them wag their tail when I just quickly glance at them? What is it when I come home and their whole bodies are wiggling to see me. What is it when I cry and the come to comfort me?

Love.

To me it's pretty obvious she's never owned a dog. (she's allergic anyways)

Now, maybe a goldfish can't necessarily 'love' their owners -- but definitely cats, dogs, birds, rats.. and others.

That's my opinion..

What's yours?

[PJ's Mom]

I believe they can. I think they show it by giving kisses, and by licking your tears away when you're crying. :)

[slleipnir]

I agree with you that that is BS.

Josie and I have a VERY strong bond (Not that I don't with Zeke, but it's a little different with Jo) Any time I am feeling down, she comes right up with me and cheers me up. She seems to know exactly when I need her as well. Same for her if she needs me. If she has an epileptic fit and she is down stairs, she will always come right to my room (even if someone else is downstairs)

Both dogs are extremely happy anytime I come homeas well. They rush to the door and flip out. Why would they now if they didn't care to see me? They're even overly happy just for a pat (esp Zeke ;D he loves to be snuggled) I just don't see how pets (especially dogs and cats) don't love their owners.

sorry my examples kinda sucked

[Cincy'sMom]

I have heard many behaviorists say that when you dogs lick you they are in on no way showing affection. They are showing submission or begging for food, or whatever.

I know I may not be educated in such matters, but when one of the dogs in playing, stops, runs across the room to give you a kiss, and goes back to what they are doing, I think they are showing affection. When you are petting then, and they turn and give you a kiss, I think they are saying thank you. And when theit whole bodies wag when you get ome, I think they are showing how happy they are to see you. If those aren't real emotions and real feelings, they are still good enough for me. And if that isn't true love, well then maybe true love isn't so important.

[Rio and Me]

Absaloutly they DO.
If you have an abused dog (i mean beaten etc) they owner appears, they either cower,growl,whine etc. No love there. or they cower and have a slight wag (as in i want to come and love you, but scared) this dog wants to love but is scared to for fear of being beaten.
and then theres the PTers dogs who all seem to be MAD about us,lol whole but wiggles, kisses, etc dog's that go OTT loving.
My dog loves
Ky

[aly]

Since I've been studying canine behavior for awhile, I've read all about how when dogs lick you, they are really showing submission. The leaders of the pack are always groomed and that is what your dog is doing, etc etc blah blah blah. HOWEVER, I choose to believe my dogs love me. Some may call me ignorant, but it sure is bliss :D :D :D

[stacwase]

Well maybe you should remind her of the dogs who have refused to leave their owners' gravesites, rain sleet or shine!

Or how about the dogs that go into a deep depression when they lose their owners?

You know there are so many people who believe it's impossible for animals to have feelings. Why on earth would they think that?

[ParNone]

I'm not sure they conceptualize Love in the same way we do. And we humans, me most definitely included, have a tendency to put human emotions on certain dog behaviors that don't necessarily mean what we assign to them. The tail wagging has been mentioned as a sign of Love. Murph and Maddie's tails wag at everything, not just me. If they get a drink of water, their tail wags. My friend'll take her dog out to the park, run her ragged, then the dog zonks on the couch. Her sister will come home and the dog will stay sleeping on the couch, so she'll decide "Oh no, she's so sad". Uh no, she's tired.

But... On the day that Maddie died, I was working all day and didn't get home until late. I know that she held on for all she was worth, until I got home, so I could be with her when she went to the other side. I don't know maybe it's not Love, but it sure was an especially close bond. In doggy terms, maybe it even transcended Love. Guess it doesn't really matter if it was Love exactly. Boy, it was something incredibly special though.

Par...

[Dogz]

Absolutely. Yes, they can.


If it is not love, I come up with the same questions as you, KayAnn. Why do they wag their tail when you just give them one look?


It's gotta be love.


I can feel the love when I just look at them, when I snuggle with them.


I could feel the love when Nelly was with us. He loved our whole family. Boy, did I wish he would have had his wings clipped, but it was nice to know that he LOVED us enough to come out from eating his food to *fly* across the room while we were watching TV. I don't watch much TV anymore, because I can't feel the *LOVE* from him.

So, my final answer, of course, is that if someone says pets cannot love their owners, that is BS.

[Amber]

Of Course animals can love there owners! Thats how realtionships form. Why do we see dogs, wagging their tails, kissing, there owners when they get home? Because they love them. If they didn't they would just do nothing.


I even felt love with my hamsters. small animals, with a teeny brains, hey, still it's love!

When a person dies, that a pet was close to don't they feel grief? Because they loved that person.


I know Katie did with my Grandpa :(

[CountryWolf07]

Two words:

OF COURSE!

[Tonya]

I know my animals love me. They show it in many ways. If I'm gone for a few days, it is unbelievable how happy they are when they come back. In fact, I feel more love and respect from my pets then my human friends and family. hehe

[KYS]

If the affections that my dogs show me
aint love than What do you call love?

How ever it is defined I will say it's love. :D

[lovemyshiba]

Originally posted by aly
Since I've been studying canine behavior for awhile, I've read all about how when dogs lick you, they are really showing submission. The leaders of the pack are always groomed and that is what your dog is doing, etc etc blah blah blah. HOWEVER, I choose to believe my dogs love me. Some may call me ignorant, but it sure is bliss :D :D :D

I'll be ignorant with you!!!!!!
I've read that as well, but I choose to believe otherwise.
Of course, I do have one dog who is very stingy with the kisses, so much that I have to smear cream cheese or something equally yummy to him on my face just to get a kiss--do I do it? Sometimes!!
Call me nuts, but I believe all of my dogs love me.
:D :D :D :D :D

[Karen]

I believe that pets can love their owners. I also think that science cannot "prove" love in humans, how do they expect to scientifically "prove" it in humans??? They are admitting more and more that animals feel emotion. And if they choose not to call the strong bond between an animal and its human "love," well, that's their choice. I know what love is, and that's it! :D

[lisalee]

It sounds to me that your teacher is not an animal person.:rolleyes: I certainly believe animals love there owners, some may show it less than other's. The way Sash looks at me and purrs non-stop when he's next to me definitely tells me my boy loves me.:)

Lisa & Sash





http://pages.ivillage.com/lisalee992 (Sash's website)

[lat192004]

OF COURSE!

[binka_nugget]

Absolutely!

Call it what you will..a bond, love, strong emotions, they can still have it! Just the other night, I had a rough day and broke down. Normally, Kai is terrified of the lamp in my room which is beside my bed so he doesn't go near it. In fact, he avoids my room all together because of it. But that night, he hopped onto my bed, layed his head on me and stayed up there with me until I fell asleep. If that's not love, I don't know what is. :D

[moosmom]

ABSOLUTELY!!! I know for a FACT that MooShoo adores me! How do I know? He is in my bedright next to me, under the covers with his head on the spare pillow every single night. Whenver I tried to close him out of my room (years ago) he would scratch the door relentlessly!!! I'm not sure if it's the breed (Sphynx), but I've read that Sphynxes, Devon and Cornish Rexes are very loyal to their humans. Moo LOVES going to rides in the car. When asked "Wanna go bye-bye???", he will hop up on my shoulder and start purring as if to say "Sure, let's go!!!" We share a very special bond like none I've ever seen before.

If that ain't love, I don't know what is!!!

[davidpizzica]

YHou mean it ISN"T love when you/re depressed your kitty all of a sudden jumps in your lap and gives you purrs and headrubs? I happen to think that pets and animals are intuitive and have a sense to know what's wrong with their owner. My siamese RB Thai knew that I was depressed when my parents passed away and almost spent every waking minute in my lap trying to give me comfort. now, THAT'S LOVE!!

[bluekat]

Of course they can!

I agree with you, its totally BS to say an animal can't love their owners, that's just stupid.

[anna_66]

Now, Angus hardly ever gives kisses but when he knows I'm really upset he'll come over a give me a big slurp on the face. He Never, I mean every once in a blue moon will give a kiss! What is that if it isn't love?

Roxey, she's another story. I think she respects me more than loves me:p She may not like it when I get all lovey dovey with her and hug & kiss her, but she still lets me do it. She knows (or I think she knows) it makes me happy. So I guess that's love after all:)

And Huney...I KNOW she loves me! Like Kay said, why else would she wag her tail when I just glance over at her? Why would she want to be by my side no matter where I am? Even when we go to the park, she makes sure she knows where I am at all times.


So YES!, my answer is YES! I do believe animals can love their owners:D:D

[Pam]

Originally posted by anna_66

And Huney...I KNOW she loves me! Like Kay said, why else would she wag her tail when I just glance over at her? Why would she want to be by my side no matter where I am? Even when we go to the park, she makes sure she knows where I am at all times.


Anna I just wanted to say that Ripley is just like Huney, and I think it may be in part because of their questionable pasts. It is just a hunch on my part, but I think they are so grateful to us, that we have become their whole world. I am not saying that Bella isn't affectionate, but she doesn't have that need to know where I am at all times.

Yes, I definitely think animals can love their owners!

[lovemyshiba]

Anna and Pam~

My Riley is the same way as Huney and Ripley--he has to know where I am at all times, and 99% of the time, he is right beside me. Of course, right now he is in the yard with his sisters and brother, but you can bet why he comes flying through the door, the first thing he will do is look for me!!!

***edit*** He just came in, and looked right over at me!!!!!

[ParNone]

Okay I gotta ask about the tail wag. Is that really a sign of love or a conditioned response? Mom equals treats and petting equals good equals tail wag. My dogs wag their tails at everybody they meet. Do they really love everybody as much as me or do they associate every human with treats? They wag their tails, when they get a drink of water. Are they in love with their water bowl? Guess I'm gonna have to compare the tail wags and see if I rate as high as the water bowl. Murph was wagging his tail about as happy and fast as I've ever seen it, when he was growling and lunging at Idgie the Jack Russell, trying to rip her head off. Is he in love with Idgie? Are there wedding bells in their future? Are masochist relationships love too? Hummm... just things to ponder.

Par...

[Cincy'sMom]

I don't know if this is an answer for you or not Par, but Spot's tail is always going. It hardly eer stops. The difference is, when you walk into a room, it goes as fast as it can,and when you get home from a day at work, the wholeback end is going. Maybe it is just more excitement, but there is a differnce, at least with him :)

[DJFyrewolf36]

What is love anyway?

A lot of companion animals come from a pack/group structure and as such when put into a situation where they are dealing with people instead of animals as groupmates, they show the same behaviors towards people *mostly* as they do with members of their own species. Dogs are a prime example. Look at how wolves act around each other and then study what dogs *even though they are far removed from wolves they show the same behaviors, can't breed out instinct ;) * do around thier favorite people. Animals CAN love, I do believe. When a member of a pack dies, the rest of the pack mourns. Even Rats have exibited this behavior. Cats arent so much a group critter, but don't they act like it around people as well as other cats lol?

[Barbara]

I agree with Karen (as I do most of the time:D ).

What is love? If your bf brings you flowers he may just treat you as the leader of the pack:p

In the last 20 years science could prove that animal societies show much more "social" behavior than was ever expected: e.g. in feral cat colonies, the cat mothers take care of the kittens together and "help" each other.

Of course a behavior like that makes it more likely that more kittens survive- so it is better for the whole group.

Pets have much more differentiated emotions than some of the strict old school behaviorists can detect. As long as nobody has a better name for it I call it love.

Filou says he agrees strongly:D

[joanofark]

I know animals can love there owners! How would your teacher know!?! She has never had one before! :confused:

[TashaYar]

Hello,

As some of you may know, I have just lost my own "child".... actually two in the last two months, so my feelings may be a bit raw and on edge at the moment.

But, with regard to whether or not animals can "love", let me tell you that with Tasha's passing, her "kitty" (a cat brought in as a companion for another, but who instantly bonded with Tasha... her Rottweiler mother), has been meowing around the house and this evening settled into the exact spot where Tasha slept for the last 5 years. After Tasha's burial yesterday afternoon, we allowed Chat Gris (the "kitty") to visit the grave, not really expecting anything; but , Chat Gris surprised us by rolling around on top of the grave, rubbing her scent glands on the sides of her mouth, onto the ground directly above Tasha's body.

In another instance, when Ginger (Tasha's older [non-related] "sister") passed away two month's ago, Tasha started deteriorating almost within one week -- I honestly think she loved her sister so much that her grief compounded her illness.

Of course, other "rationalists" will come up with other "reasons" for this behavior, but I prefer to think that it shows love on their part. Not just towards their humans, but also to their fellow animals, in this case, their counterpart "caregivers"... they all relied on each other for mutual support.

I am now concerned for Chat Gris that she may become depressed, so we are trying to make sure she knows that we are not going anywhere soon -- I guess you could say it's a reason to spoil her even more than she is. The odd thing is.... her nickname has always been "Evilene" since she could turn evil in an instant.... since ginger's passing two month's ago, her attitude has changed dramatically, and since Tasha's death yesterday, Chat Gris is very cuddly.

My point....???!!! (Is there one?) Animals do love.... we, as humans, are but animals ourselves, so if we can do it, they can do it.

If your biology teacher has a problem with this explanation, please tell her to sign on here so we can 'splain it to her.

gp

[ILoveReptiles]

Well I think it depends on the animal. But yes, some can.

Dogs and cats certainly have the capacity to "love" their owners...

As for other critters, well, let's just say that my Iguana may be the closest to being capable of 'love'. Some days she barely tolerates me, others she has been known to snuggle.

My snakes and geckos are just reactionary - I do not think that their cranial cavity is large enough to have the capacity for love. I think they just see me as a food source and appreciate me for that.

[NoahsMommy]

Yes, they can!!

My heart flutters whenever I just look at my kitties, but when they come to me for love, I know they mean the LOVE we feel too.

Science can say whatever they want...I know in my heart my cats love me and your animals all love you. :)

[My Peanuts]

:mad: I was just talking to my boyfriend about this and he thinks they don't love!:mad: I was like, look at Harley how he comes up to you an lays on you and kisses you. That's love! Sylvia follows my dad everywhere. He can't even go into the bathroom without her scratching at the door. I call it the 6 inch rule. Sylvia has to be no more than 6 inches from my dad to feel comfortable. That's love. I can't believe my boyfriend thinks animals can't love!!!:mad:

[carole]

IMO your teacher is speaking through a hole in her head, of course they can love their owners, I have never felt so much love as I do from my cat Lexie, we adore each other IMO, whether that sounds silly or not, I believe its true, why then do animals pine when their owners are absent or have passed away, tell me that?

[davidpizzica]

Cats show a lot of love towards their owners. Not only that, I think they know what their owners are feeling. When my parents passed away, my RB kitty Thai could'nt stay away from my lap as if she was trying to give some comfort in her own way. Your teacher is not an animal lover or owner or else he would'nt sway things like that.

[Kfamr]

Luckily, I don't have to listen to my teacher's ignorance anymore.


Funny thing is though, I saw her and her husband (who also happens to be a teacher, but he's my favorite teacher) at WalMart on the last day of school.

[carole]

Kay-ann we can only but feel sorry for her, obviously she has never experienced what we have, the unconditional love from our pets.

[CatMama78]

No matter what science thinks it knows, it cannot acurately pinpoint and describe what love is - it's undefinable. I love my cats and they love me - it's what I know in my heart and it's all that matters :)

[davidpizzica]

Originally posted by CatMama78
No matter what science thinks it knows, it cannot acurately pinpoint and describe what love is - it's undefinable. I love my cats and they love me - it's what I know in my heart and it's all that matters :) This could the definitive answer for the whole thread! CatMema78, i couldn't have said it any better!!

[EssTer]

I really believe that animals CAN love their owners!!!

[guster girl]

Whatever was in my little dog's eyes when we had to say goodbye to eachother is more that I could ever ask for from any living being and way more than I deserve. Whether that's love or not, doesn't matter. As long as it's there, there's no need to give it a name. ;)