do they know how much we love them?
last night i was gazing at my lovely boy,thinking how much i totally love him & he looked back as if he knew.
do you think they know?

i think they do.:)

I always sit and tell my two how much I love them.

My daily leaving for work talk is.

"Ronnie and Rosie be good for Daddy, Mummy loves you be good"

OH MY GOD IM SAD!

Bradley used to gaze back, Id ask him who he loved more me or kiky. Went straight over to kiky.

I tell Henry I love him every day without fail and kiss him every morning before I leave for work, when I come home and last thing at night.  I tell him I've missed him and cuddle and hold him all the time.  I think our body language tells them a lot about how we feel about them.  I think they know that there is a bond, but they don't know what "love" means :-(

In fact I have to say I kiss Henry more than I kiss my fella!

I also am one of those who says things like "Emma loves Henry very much and will miss him today when she's at work, so you be good and I'll see you later" etc etc..... 

poor dog probably just thinks, for god's sake you nutter just bloody GO will you!

do  they not feel love then? how can we know one way or the other. flynn seems to love nellie & only like tara.

Ickle Man does I'm sure.  He loves me to whisper I uv you (I love you, of course :d)  His little stump goes ten to the dozen and he stares at me with his wonderful dark eyes, and then does his Elvis impression :d

He also loves to give me hugs and kisses, I'm sure that he's been a man in a previous life.  Wish I could find one just like him with 2 legs, charming, loving, daft :d :d

I meant that the word love means nothing to them probably so how do they know it's definition.  They must feels different things and have some feelings that are stronger than others but how do they know what love means...... hmmmmm....

i dont think they have to know wot love means to feel it :D

I tell my lot all the time how much I love them. I always make time for each of them for one to one. They all like to cuddle in. They say my breed is not a one man dog, I have two boys who don't appear to know that. As for my youngest bitch...she'd probably go off and lick everyone to death but she's totally relaxed with me and very tactile. They might not know 'love' but they know 'pack/family' and belonging.

I came in tonight, and I was a wee bit later than usual.  and there was my girl waiting for me and Oh my god, the display I got, she wagged until she bent in half, she squealed, she jumped, she made little honking noises, she wacked me with her big paws until i squidged my face in hers, rubbed her belly and told her how much I loved her and how much I missed her.  And i know the feeling is mutual!!

I think they know they are loved as my lot go mental for my eldest but the younger one (child) who is not as touchy feely with the dogs just gets a wee lick and one or two jumps,whereas the older girl who eats sleeps and breathes animals not just dogs gets dogs in her arms on her head just about anywhere they can reach to get to her

Absolutely....
When my boy got really sick and the vet could not find the cause, I took him to a specialist on the Tuesday morning. That evening I had a call to say that they thought he had cancer, the words 'put him to sleep could not come out my mouth' and said that if was comfortable, then let him have a good night. I got a call at 8.30 the following morning to say that he died in his sleep.
I beleive that Barnie knew how much I loved him and he loved me back unconditionally that he wanted to spare me the pain of making that decision. He also waited until he was out of the house to die so I would not suffer any more than I really had to.
Dogs are not stupid, THEY KNOW......

I've only ever owned one dog, and sadly I don't think she loves me.
I love her a lot and I tell her this, although I don't think she appreciates it.
There is some sort of bond though. We seem to understand each other's body language, and when she looks up at me with those dark brown eyes... I know she wants something :D

She certainly knows I love her though, she uses it to get what she wants!