Is there any evidence that dogs love you? I own both a cat and a dog. I feel like I have more of a presence in my dog's life, with them being pack animals and all, but do dogs care about you in a different way than other animals?
I hear everyone say that "dogs love you for who you are", but sometimes I think that they just slavishly devote themselves to us in order to avoid conflict and increase chances of survival.
>>2144418
Doggos love anyone who is nice to them, plays with them, feeds them. That's just how their social structure operates. They certainly do demonstrate a capacity to form a bond with their owners and appear to be capable of mourning the dead.
Beyond that you're getting in to anthropomorphism though.
>>2144418
Is there any evidence that humans love you?
>>2144418
>but sometimes I think that they just slavishly devote themselves to us in order to avoid conflict and increase chances of survival.
Are you autistic? Dogs are social animals, they follow many similar rules that we (another social animal) follow. Their bonds may not be mother-child strong but yes they can love you, yes dogs have shown signs of depression and mourning after losing their companions. Obviously, if you treat them like shit or never take time to bond with them, they'll just milk you for free food and leave if they feel the need to.
>>2144453
>all this anthropomorphism
>slavishly devote themselves to us in order to avoid conflict and increase chances of survival
Bruh, saying dogs are capable of such complex thought and planning as that is way more far fetched than saying they can feel love.
>>2144453
Calm down, bro. I was just suggesting a possibility. I'd like to think that my dog bonds with me.
>>2144418
Of course they do. Every animal with a nervous system that has forms of bonding or 'love' patterns, such as protection of mother/child animal or mated animals are absolutely capable of feeling 'love'. That's what that sensation feels like to them and how it feels, same as how pain feels to human feels the same to those animals.
Human and animal brains are 99% similar. They use the same chemicals, the same parts, the animals have the same senses, etc. Anyone who doesn't see that animals have the full range of emotions humans do, just lack language or the intellectual ability to express it are lying to themselves.
>>2144459
this. anthropomorphism isn't scientific.
only humans enjoy company and feel love and emotions because humans are unique and special, that's real science.
>>2144433
As a virgin loner in his thirties this is a constant worry.
;_;
>>2144465
>Every animal with a nervous system that has forms of bonding or 'love' patterns
I wouldn't say this exactly, but I agree with pretty much everything else. Environments and niches that selected for "love" produced species that show forms of "love". A lot of species can get by with just a sex drive, so they never had the need to evolve bonds, care, or altruism.
Dogs were purposefully selected by us to have natural affection for humans.
>>2144418
Stop that picture is scary at night in the dark pls remove
>>2144501
life sucks, mate
>>2144418
When my parents went away for a week of vacation, I stayed at home and looked after our dog, and he was incredibly depressed that they weren't home. The further into the week it got, the more sad he seemed to get, and he'd spend a lot of the time waiting at the door for them to come back.
