Just how bonded are you to your pet?

May 3, 2010 | By Kevin Kisthart, previously published in Zootoo.

After a long, stressful day, nothing is better than coming home to your best friend frantically awaiting your arrival right at the front door. As excited as you are to see your pet, there is no doubt that your pup is just as excited to see you.

This initial excitement is very easy for humans to pick up on, but during many other times throughout the day, you are on the same wavelength as your dog and may not even know it.

According to a survey done by Pup-Peroni and Kelton Research company, 75% of people say that by reading their dog's body language and facial expressions, they can tell exactly what their dog is thinking. We can tell when they are happy or sad, and they can tell the same about us.

The Pup-Peroni survey reports that over 40% of people agreed that their dog would be more likely to pick up on their bad mood than their best friend. Dogs are very perceptive animals and can sense our feelings and emotions, as they have a good understanding of human social cues.

Though your pup may not always know exactly what we are thinking, their expressions and body language usually tell us everything. We know when they are happy and want to play, and we know when they are sad and know when they have done something wrong. And there’s no bigger sign of what your dog is thinking than seeing him with his head cowered and ears flat — right before finding out the garbage is all over the kitchen floor.

While it’s easy for us to pick up on how our dog is feeling, believe it or not they know what we are feeling as well, and most of the time they know just what to do. According to the Pup-Peroni survey, an overwhelming 89% of dog owners said that their dog has tried to comfort them in times of need. Dogs don’t even have to give us a pep talk to try and cheer us up. All it takes is a simple wag of the tail, and a nice shared moment with your best friend.

That’s the beauty of the simple relationship between humans and canines. They don’t try and lecture us, judge us, tell us what to do, or ever let us down when we need them the most. In fact, most people prefer the company of their dog over their human friends when they are down, and that’s why they truly are our four-legged family members.

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