10 signs that your dog feels safe with you

As dog owners, one of the most important things for us is for our dog to know that we love and protect them, and that no matter what happens, we'll be there for them. But how can we be sure that our beloved four-legged friend really understands this? We'll show you the signs.

Surely, you’ve asked yourself whether your dog knows how much you love them and if they feel safe with you. Well, we have good news: they do, and they express it through their behavior. Below, we’ve gathered 10 sure signs that your dog feels safe with you. If you notice these in your pet, you don’t have to worry about their trust not being with you.

1. Initiating physical contact

If your pet seeks your touch, leans on you, rests its head on your thigh, or paws at you, you’ve won. Dogs only willingly engage in physical contact with someone – or another animal – they trust. This is an important tool for building and deepening the bond, which they only use when they don’t feel threatened.

2. Playfulness, naughtiness

It might be somewhat annoying after a while if your dog constantly nibbles on its squeaky toy while you’re trying to concentrate on something. However, it’s a very good sign if the dog plays in your presence. A mischievous dog, for example, who jumps around or repeatedly drops its favorite fetch toy at your feet, clearly wants to express that it feels good in your company.

3. Calm eating

Dogs that feel safe confidently approach their food bowl without hesitation or anxiety to devour its contents. Calm eating shows trust in the environment – the animal knows precisely that its owner will always take care of the nourishment.

4. Tail wagging

Dogs communicate a lot to us through the various movements of their tails. Since we don’t speak the same language, body language is how our pets can express themselves most effectively. The speed and height of tail wagging indicate different feelings. A content, happy, friendly dog casually wags its tail freely – it might even wiggle its rear end along with it.

5. Happy sounds

In addition to body language, another important communication tool for dogs is barking. However, the type of bark your pet emits is crucial. If you notice that your dog rarely barks in your presence, and when it does, it’s in a higher pitch and for a short duration, then you can pat yourself on the back. This type of barking indicates unequivocally that the animal feels safe with you.

6. Revealing ears

In a dog’s body language, along with the tail, the ears also reveal a lot about the dog’s feelings. When it comes to ears, you can be at ease if you see that – as strange as it may sound – the dog doesn’t do anything with them. It doesn’t pull them back, doesn’t constantly move them back and forth; it holds them loosely, and at most, it starts perking them up when it hears the sound of the food bag opening.

7. Licking

Dogs often use licking as a means of expressing love and trust. This behavior is instinctual – even puppies communicate this way with their mother. When your dog occasionally licks you affectionately, it’s a sign of attachment and contentment.

8. Eye contact

Eye contact is extremely important in the world of dogs, as it’s a very strong form of communication. If your pet stares into your eyes for a long time, the bond between you is extremely strong, and the animal trusts you completely. In dog language, prolonged eye contact is fundamentally a threatening behavior, which dogs typically avoid in most cases.

9. Sleep well

If your pet enjoys falling asleep near you, then it sees you as a source of safety and protection. Dogs have a strong pack instinct – being close to the pack leader equates to safety.

10. Sensitive areas

One of the most revealing signs of trust is when your dog willingly sleeps on its back, exposing its belly. Since this is a vulnerable area, if the animal is even slightly unsure, it would rather hide it to avoid potential attacks. The openness of the belly – and the request for petting or scratching in that area – clearly indicates that your dog blindly trusts you.