🐾 Love, According to Dogs

Connection comes first. Everything else follows.

3 Ways Dogs Show Love (And 3 Ways We Can Actually Return It)

Dogs love us in ways that are easy to miss.

Not with big gestures.

Not with constant excitement.

And definitely not with guilt trips.

Dogs love through presence, patience, and adaptation. They keep showing up—even when something in their body feels off—because connection matters more to them than comfort.

That’s beautiful.

And it’s also exactly why how we care for them matters so much.

A New Twist: Dogs Love With Their Nervous Systems

Here’s something that doesn’t get talked about enough:

Dogs don’t experience love primarily as emotion.

They experience it as safety in their bodies.

When a dog feels safe, their nervous system settles. Their breathing slows. Their muscles soften. Their movement becomes easier. That’s why the deepest signs of love often look… quiet.

No fireworks.

Just trust.

❤️ The Top 3 Ways Dogs Show They Love You

1. They Regulate Themselves Around You

If your dog relaxes faster near you than anywhere else—sighing, stretching, leaning, or sleeping deeply—that’s love.

It means your presence helps their nervous system feel safe.

That’s not obedience.

That’s attachment.

This is what safety and co-regulation looks like.

2. They Keep Going (Even When It’s Harder)

Most dogs don’t stop playing, walking, or following us when something feels uncomfortable in their body.

They adapt.

They compensate.

They carry on.

Not because they don’t feel it—but because being with you matters more.

That quiet perseverance is one of the most overlooked forms of love dogs give.

3. They Check In—Not Out

Dogs who glance back at you, adjust their pace to yours, or choose to stay close without being asked aren’t being needy.

Sometimes the pause says more than movement; "I am checking in on you to ensure you're here."

They’re saying:

“I want to be where you are.”

That’s intentional connection.

🤍 The Top 3 Ways to Show Your Dog You Love Them Back

This is where we gently flip the script.

1. Support Comfort, Not Just Behaviour

A dog who’s slower, hesitant, or restless may not be “stubborn” or “acting out.”

Often, their body is working harder than it used to.

Supporting comfort—through movement awareness, bodywork, and recovery time—helps dogs stay engaged without having to compensate.

Mars getting a rehab bodywork session

2. Touch Them the Way

They

Ask

Dogs are incredibly clear communicators if we slow down enough to notice.

Leaning in = yes

Turning away = pause

Softening = more please

Love, to dogs, is consent-based touch—not constant touch.

Eyes soften as guardian listens to the body

3. Let Them Move at Their Own Speed

Dogs don’t need to be “kept young.”

They need to be supported through change.

That might mean:

• fewer repetitive high-impact activities

• softer ground (moss, sand, un-fertilized grass)

• more warm-up and recovery

• gentler, more intentional movement

Senior mixed breed dog walking calming along the soft sandy beach

Aging well isn’t about stopping life—it’s about moving through it more comfortably.

Dogs Are Family—And Family Care Evolves

Loving a dog doesn’t mean doing more.

It means noticing sooner.

Small changes in movement, posture, or energy often show up long before injury does. When we respond early—with support instead of urgency—we help dogs age with dignity, confidence, and trust in their bodies.

That’s real love.

💛 A Small Family Day (& week) Thank-You!

To celebrate Family Day, I’m extending a small Love Bug thank-you for bookings and orders made now through end of this week (midnight Feb 20th with code: familydog)

Not as a promotion—but as a reminder that caring for our dogs doesn’t have to be complicated to be meaningful.

Book a future session and receive a small Soul Paws wellness gift or treat bag.

or

Purchase 3 Soul Paws premium dehydrated treats and receive the 4th bag free.

🐾 Closing

Loving a dog means loving them through every stage—

the energetic years, the subtle shifts, the slower mornings, and everything in between.

They stay present with us through it all.

We get to support them as their needs change.

With love,

Erin 💛