Valentine’s Day is coming up quick. Curious how to show your dog you love them? Traditional paper valentines may not mean much to your pup, but we have some other ideas on how you can express your love. 

Do dogs feel love?

Since humans and dogs can’t verbally communicate, it’s difficult to know what’s going on in their heads. Do dogs feel love? Yes, dogs absolutely feel love and positive emotions for their pet parents. 

One study shows that a dog’s brain reacts similarly to a human’s when exposed to happy sounds and familiar smells. The scent of their human parents specifically triggers positive emotions in dogs, so yes, dogs do feel love. 

Dogs even have unique ways of showing humans that they love us. If your pup brings you their favorite toy, it’s not just a signal they’re ready to play. Your dog is sharing their prized possession with you to show that they love and trust you. 

Pups that love to sleep with their pet parents also have an extra special love for their humans. In the wild, dogs sleep in a defensive position. Their noses face forward to detect potential threats and they keep their backs to their pack to protect them from danger. So when dogs are comfortable enough to sleep soundly in bed with you, that means you’re part of their park. 

Ways to Show Love For Your Dog

Curious how to show your dog you love them back? With dogs, showing love is more impactful with actions and items than it is with words. Here are a few surefire ways to prove your love to your pup. 

Make Dog Valentines Treats

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, make a handmade gift for your pup. A valentine can be anything that expresses your love for a person – or in this case, your dog. Instead of a handwritten card, try a new DIY dog treat recipe for your pup to enjoy in place of Valentine’s chocolates. 

This Instagram post from @thecedlife teaches you how to make dog-friendly “chocolate” candy. Don’t worry – there’s no actual chocolate in the recipe. Instead, you blend melted coconut butter and Sundays air-dried dog food. 

Add the blend into candy cups, add peanut butter the the center, top with more coconut butter blend and freeze for a few hours. The result is a safe-to-eat peanut butter cup for your pup. 

Add a New Toy to Their Collection

Say “I love you” to your dog by gifting them a brand new toy. Many pet parents attest that their dogs love Lamb Chop dog toys most of all. To the human eye, there’s nothing distinct about this toy, but dogs will go out of their way to play with Lamb Chops.

Why do dogs love the Lamb Chop so much? For one, this toy is extremely soft and cuddly. It isn’t harsh on your dog's teeth if they like to chew and if your dog is more of a lover, this is a cuddly-worthy toy. Take it from our Lead Growth Product Manager’s dog, Elly, who hoards multiple Lamb Chops in her house!

Lamb Chops are great dog valentines for anxiety-ridden pups because they have a calming effect. Some dogs think the Lamb Chop resembles a puppy and so it becomes more of a friend or sibling to them than a toy. This toy might just become your dog’s security blanket! 

Give Your Pup Extra Belly Rubs

It’s scientifically proven – dogs love belly rubs! It reminds your furry friend of when they were a puppy and their mom would lick them clean. Belly rubs and petting have a calming effect on your dog for this reason. 

Belly rubs can also release the feel-good hormone, oxytocin, for both you and your dog. Your pup is enjoying the physical contact and you, in turn, are feeling love from making them happy. So give your dog some extra belly rubs to let them know just how much you care. 

Spice Up Their Diet

Curious how to show your dog you love them every day? Feed them a 100% human-grade dog food that’s tasty for them, convenient for you, and nutritionally balanced for their overall health. 

Sundays for Dogs has three air-dried dog food recipes with real meat as the first ingredient. Choose from chicken, beef, or turkey protein-focused recipes that also feature only whole ingredients – no artificial flavors or synthetic additives included. Try a sample today to see just how much dogs like yours enjoy Sundays.