8 Reasons Why Your Dog Is Thankful for You

Dog is truly man’s best friend – but why is that? We all love our dogs, and it’s plain to figure out why. But why do our dogs love us? What makes them thankful for us, now with Thanksgiving just around the corner? Here are 8 reasons why your dog is thankful for you.

You’re like a parent to them
Most dog owners will seek to get a puppy and raise it however they want to. This instills in the dog a kind of closeness to you that matches the one it felt for its parents. This will earn not only their respect for you, but they’ll also be thankful for the rest of their lives for your effort and dedication. But, this bonding doesn’t just happen with puppies though! Rescues and shelter dogs will quickly depend on you as their surrogate parent, too.

Food
You’re the main source of food for your dog, and they’ll make a huge deal out of this. As with most animals, instinct is what mainly drives dogs, and there’s no greater instinct than that of surviving, which is hugely reliant on food and water – both of which come directly from you.

Play
Your dog loves to play, and like human children, it’s how they learn a lot of things about the world around them. You being their playmate will make the dog very thankful towards the time you put aside and spend playing with them and allowing them to learn to interact in their little world.

Safety
Dogs need to feel safe in order to thrive and be happy – and you’re the one who makes sure they are safe. You provide not only nourishment but shelter and protection. And while they can also protect you, they’re vulnerable themselves and need to know they can count on you.

You’re Their Family
A dog will listen to you, obey your commands and keep itself in check for one reason only – you are family. Dogs are social animals and they often love to please you.

They can count on you
You can always count on a dog’s love; it’s unadulterated, permanent and unconditional. But they can sense the same coming from you – so they know they can count on you, which relaxes them and makes them feel safe.

Walks

Every dog likes to explore, and you taking them outside to play, walk or do their business is a huge part of their existence. They can meet other dogs, play with other people and learn more about their surroundings. Also, it’s very important for a dog to use its nose, so offering them a whole wide world to explore is something they’ll hugely grateful for.

Teaching
When you teach a dog a trick, you might think it’s something they can just do for your entertainment. But learning new things is very important for keeping a dog cognitively active and healthy, so they’ll surely be thankful for your taking the time and putting in the effort and patience to do so.

This is really only the beginning of a list that could go on for days. You and your dog have a very unique relationship so he will have a whole bunch of other things he’s thankful for. What would you add to this list?