How do dogs show affection?

We all know dogs show us love, but some people feel their pup just doesn't show enough of it, or aren't sure exactly how they are showing it.
Let's touch on that today.
How exactly does a dog show affection?

I know for me personally, I am able to read my huskies behavior very easily.
For two reasons - 1) because huskies tend to wear their emotions on their face. 2) I have always paid VERY close attention to know the signs of how my pups are feeling. I have young children and to me, I need to know what's going on with their behavior (the dogs) every moment of the day.

Two of my huskies are VERY loving. Love to snuggle, cuddle, lick and lay on me!
Whether they are bombarding me like in the photo above.

Giving me big husky kisses, like in this one ^

Snuggle time on my chair ^

Or just jumping up eye level with me to say a hello.
No matter which one of these they do, they are always showing love in one form or another.

Tell 'tail' signs your dog is showing affection -

• Tail wagging

At times tail wagging can mean that a dog is stressed or feeling anxious, however it can also mean they are extremely happy and feeling affectionate. Just read the body language of your dog. If their tail is high up and very tense looking but still wagging, chances are, they are nervous or anxious.
If your dogs tail has a helicopter effect, or wagging crazy out of control with a big 'ol grin on their face, chances are they are feeling affectionate.

• Leaning

A lot of people think that when a dog leans into you, they are trying to be dominant.
That is not always the case, nor is it the case very often at all. A dog likes to lean into their humans to feel closer to them, and feel secure. They are showing you affection when this happens.

• Jumping

If there is one bad habit I could change about my huskies, it would be Koda and his jumping up.
We all know it is not always welcome having a big dog jump on you when you walk through the door, however, do you know one of the reasons they do this? Dogs are far away from our faces, and they want to be closer to us. A reason they jump is simply to get closer to our faces and say hello!

• Smiling

My huskies all have the biggest, goofiest, most wonderful smiles when they are happy or affectionate. I realize not all breeds smile the way a husky does, BUT one thing to look for it the position of their mouth. A dog feeling affectionate will generally have a relaxed, half open mouth, rather than a tight closed mouth. They also have that loving look in their eyes to go with the smile.

What do you take out of this?
Learning to read your own dogs body language can help you understand when your pup feels anxious, happy, affectionate, or upset. So pay some extra attention, and learn a little about your dog ;)

Day #3 of our taste test challenge :

The Sibe Tribe anxiously awaits their treats for day #3!
The taste testing has been a big hit so far!

Featured Item Of The Week
$8.00 and add a FREE  pet charm to your item!
Details here.