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A veterinarian is sharing the five key signs that your dog trusts you—and the answers may come as a surprise.
Dr. Adam Christman is the chief veterinary officer for animal health publication dvm360®, and regularly shares pet advice with his 850,000 social media followers. Owners regularly ask Christman how to tell if their dog trusts them, so he created a video highlighting the signs to look out for.
"I wanted to put out a short, digestible and easy-to-understand video using examples that are easily relatable," Christman told Newsweek.
According to Christman, the five signs your dog trusts you are:
- Learning your routine
- Stealing articles of your clothing
- Understanding your body language
- Sleeping in the same room as you
- Making eye contact
Whether adopting a puppy or an older dog, getting your pet into a routine can help them to adjust to their new home. However, Christman said that a shared routine can also solidify a canine-human bond, as your dog knows it can always rely on you.
"Your dog is expecting you to hold up your end of the bargain on when you're feeding them, when you are walking them and when you are engaging with them," he said.
While it may be annoying, if your dog steals an item of clothing (or another object with your scent), it's a sign that they like having you around.
"It is truly a very sweet term of endearment," Christman said.
First domesticated thousands of years ago, canines' facial muscles have actually evolved to better communicate with humans. Still, learning to read your dog's body language, and vice versa, takes time and effort. But Christman said it's worth it.
"Understanding the body language of your dog creates a sense of trust, as you'll know when their boundaries need to be respected," he said.
A dog's number one priority at bedtime is comfort and security. So, if they're choosing to sleep in the same space as you, it's a big sign that they trust you.
"Sleeping with the owner in the same room helps minimize fear, anxiety and stress," said Christman.
Finally, establishing eye contact is a simple way to spot if your dog trusts you.
"Believe it or not, eye contact triggers the release of oxytocin in both humans and dogs," Christman said.
Oxytocin is a hormone that plays a role in social bonding.
"When your dog gives you 'that look,' you know that you have a very strong trusting human-animal bond."
Christman uses his own dogs—Dachshund's Chelsea, Connor, Carl and Clark W. Grishold—as examples in his viral video, which he shared to his TikTok account @dr.adamchristman52. This includes a sausage dog stealing a flip flop, as well as a clip of the four furbabies following him around the room while making eye contact.
"I'm so glad it has resonated with the world," he said. "The comments and feedback have been incredible."
So far, the video has received more than 320,000 views, with dog owners finding the shoe-stealing particularly relatable.
"So her ripping the shoes off my feet and running away is a sign she trusts me," commented Fe Silva.
"My dog takes anything of mine including my phone and runs away with it," said devil._.kaii.
Others commented on different signs of canine trust Christman highlighted.
"Currently got my pooch snoring in my ear in 'our' bed," said Suzie.
"My Buddy looks me in the eye so much it feels uncomfortable," joked HarrietOsborneArt.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to life@newsweek.com and they could appear on our site.
About the writer
Sophie is a Newsweek Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in Lincoln, UK. Her focus is reporting on film and ... Read more