Dogs and their loyalty: what makes them man’s best friend

We all know that when we want to describe a dog the first thing that comes to mind is the word loyalty. Dogs are known to be faithful companions to humans, which is why they are so loved in every corner of the world. Furthermore, the presence of a dog in each of our lives makes us feel loved, offering unconditional love, but also protected because these creatures have the ability to observe everything that happens around us and warn us of any possible danger.

Having a dog in our life also helps us stay healthy as it is a source of exercise for us. Dogs force us to get out of our comfort zone, go for walks and exercise at least twice a day.

Surely all of you who have spent a lot of time with such a quadruped will have asked yourselves the question

why the dog is so loyal and what leads him to proudly bear the name «man’s best friend».

Well, let’s see some reasons and studies that have been done on this topic and together we know the deepest parts of these little souls.

There are several theories that try to explain why dog ​​loyalty is so profound and where it comes from. Here are some interesting explanations that answer our question:

1. Get food and shelter – this reason, perhaps the simplest and most important, shows the quadruped that its maintenance depends on you. By giving him food, shelter, and “a kind word,” he feels grateful and feels the need to repay you.
   And how can it do this better than through loyalty, affection, protection and joy?
2. He considers you part of the family – we all know that these beautiful quadrupeds are pack animals and loyalty within a pack is one of the most important characteristics for them to remain united. Furthermore, to survive in a herd, animals must care for and protect each other. Thus, two of the natural characteristics that dogs acquire, that is, trusting and offering protection, are also transposed into the relationship they have with their owner. For a herd to survive in the wild, all members must work together.
   Therefore, trust, cooperation, and putting the pack’s interests first are a natural part of survival, which is why a dog will put itself in danger just to protect you.
   So, from the moment you adopt him and integrate him into your family, he already considers himself a member and, according to the gene, tends to remain faithful to the «pack» to which he belongs.
3. He considers you a friend – you will all have already noticed that every dog ​​has a certain type of personality, often much more developed than other pets. One aspect of this personality, common to all dogs, is the ability to develop friendships. Therefore, dogs can form bonds with humans who share complementary traits, just like human friendships. This personality type can be seen from one dog breed to another because there are breeds that are genetically friendlier than others.
   Therefore, there are dog breeds that are more affectionate with quieter people and that spend more time indoors, as well as dog breeds that, being more energetic and playful by nature, will form much deeper bonds with the people they meet and life in the open air. When you want to expand your family with a new four-legged friend, it is advisable to study a little about your lifestyle and the characteristics of the various dog breeds, to be sure you make the right choice.
4. Dogs have the ability to love – Going beyond the psychology and genetics of dogs, there are studies, carried out at Claremont Graduate University in California, that suggest that their loyalty could also be biological. The study focused on measuring the level of oxytocin, also called the love hormone, and found that it is also present in dogs.
   Additionally, a similar study conducted in 2015 mapped the brains of dogs to see how different parts of the brain respond to different odors. Therefore, it has been observed that dogs react strongly to the smell of their owner and that the brain wave pattern is similar to that observed in people in love.

Seeing all this, we can realize that the stories and films in which dogs faithfully wait for their owners for years or those in which dogs recognize their owners after many years of separation are not just films. In fact, dogs actually have this ability because their love and loyalty towards «the man who feeds them» is infinite.