does my labradoodle love me

Does Your Labradoodle Love You? 25 Ways They Show Affection

Have you ever thought about if your Labradoodle really loves you? Labradoodles are one of those breeds that are so in tune with human emotions that it seems scary at times. And they are also capable of experiencing similar emotions to humans such as love.

So I asked thousands of Labradoodle owners over the world, and then I assembled this list of the most common ways that Labradoodles express their love for their owners.

How do you tell if your Labradoodle likes you? Labradoodles will regularly show their tight bond and even love for their owners by sleeping near or even on them, making eye contact, and using them for a sense of security when in a new environment. 

That’s the shortest possible answer, as there are a lot of other ways Labradoodles show their love.

Your dog may not do all of the things on this list, but if you’ve experienced a majority of them then I can guarantee that your Labradoodle loves you.

What Labradoodles do to show love…

1. Try to Be Close to (Or on Top Of) You While You’re Sleeping

This is perhaps the most common way that they show love for their owners. If your Labradoodle loves to be right next to you while you (or he) is sound asleep, then he has surely bonded with you.

Perhaps you’ve had your dog fall asleep next to you while you’re watching television on your couch, and then get up to move to another position? Does the dog get up immediately after, come over beside you, and fall right back to sleep? That’s true Doodle-love right there! There are also several reports that their sleeping position says a lot about a dog.

2. Look Into Your Eyes with Nose Forward and Ears Back

For some dogs, eye contact can be a dominance thing, but if the ears are pulled slightly back and they’re neck is extended to get their nose close to you, it’s a great sign of love.

Look at this as them trying to point at you with their nose while maintaining all-too-awkward eye contact. The more awkward this gets, the bigger the sign of affection. 

3. Cower Behind Your Legs When Scared

If your Labradoodle comes to you for a sense of security when something terrifying is happening then he has definitely bonded closely with you.

If your Doodle gets really scared and runs behind your legs for safety then it means that they not only trust you more than anything but also that they love you.

That’s because, for a Labradoodle, trust at that level is directly tied to love.

4. Randomly Lick Your Face

You know those unexpected and random kisses when you’re just chilling on the couch watching television? That’s love.

You rarely have to ask for them, but if your Labradoodle finds an opportunity and goes for a kiss, that’s a great sign.

And yeah, it can be right on the lips, or nose, or anywhere, but true love knows no bounds.

does my labradoodle love me

5. Let You Annoy Them

So while I don’t exactly encourage you to annoy or pester your dog, but if you have a Doodle that lets you do somewhat annoying things to him and he continues to be relaxed—that’s love.

Examples of this could be like if you’re sitting and watching television with him and he’s allowing you to play with his paws, tug his ears, or playfully yank with his nose or lips.

This requires full trust and high levels of affection from your Labradoodle to allow these things to happen, without him caring all that much.

6. Sleep in Your Room Watching the Door

Another good sign that your Labradoodle has a close bond with you, is if your Labradoodle sleeps beside you in your room and always seems to want to be facing the door of your room.

This is a sign that he is in a guarding mode and Labradoodles only does this to those they have a close bond with.

This is often most noticeable if you take your dog to a new house or something like camping in a new location, and you have him sleep beside you.

If this is the way he will show his love for you, that’s when this will happen.

7. Randomly Lean Into Your Legs

This will typically happen at the worst possible time—like when you’re in the kitchen frantically trying to cook dinner for all those guests that are coming over shortly.

But if your dog sits down exactly behind your legs and presses himself into them, that’s a bit old sign of love.

And while you might be stressed a bit, avoid shoveling him away instantly if you can. After all, your dog is just telling you how much he cares for you in a way he can.

8. Always Make Eye Contact with You

Labradoodles and it’s not only to show dominance, but they also do it when they love someone. It’s hard to describe when trying to write it down, but it’s a different look when eye contact is made out of love.

Labradoodle owners describe the “love look” as looking more deeply into their eyes to a point where it’s almost getting awkward.

Often they have their ears back and sometimes attempting to lick their face soon after. Awkward? Perhaps. True love? Most certainly!

9. Body Slam You While You’re Sleeping

It’s 3 a.m. and you’re sleeping deeply in your bed with your Labradoodle beside you.

He has already pushed you to the brink of your king-sized mattress giving you nothing more inches to sleep on.

But just as you at your deepest and most comfortable, he gets up, turns around a bit, and swiftly drops all of his weight directly down onto you, and it feels like you’ve been body-slammed by Hulk Hogan.

But what actually happened was that your dog got up and realized he wasn’t as close to you as he wanted to be, so this was his way of solving that problem.

As uncomfortable and unexpected as it can be, it’s really just because of the love he has for you.

I love it when my Doodle does this, even if it does interrupt my sleep, and it always gives me a huge smile on my face when I realize what has happened.

10. Won’t Leave Your Side—Even in the Bathroom

I have heard many breeds of dogs being called “velcro” dogs before, due to the fact that they stick by your side, and in this case, Labradoodles should be called “superglue” dogs, as they constantly want to be at the side of their loved ones.

So don’t expect to get any time alone, not even when you’re going to the bathroom.

If your Doodle loves you, you should always expect a furry head suddenly poking into the bathroom door when you’re on the toilet.

As the old saying goes “Get a Labradoodle and you will never have to go to the bathroom alone again!”

11. Wake You Up by Using Their Nose to Poke Your Face

It’s late at night and you are sleeping deeply when your Labradoodle gets tired of being alone and away from his loved one. And suddenly you get a cold wet nose pressed against your cheek. 

And while it might be frustrating when you’re just trying to sleep a bit, but believe me, if your dog didn’t truly love you he’d much rather go and sleep in a corner of the house somewhere and wouldn’t have anything to do with you, and most certainly wouldn’t bother with waking you.

does my labradoodle love me

12. Use Your Shoulder or Neck as a Headrest

This sigh is kind of a combination of some of the other signs of love that’s listed here.

Labradoodle owners can experience their dogs resting their heads on their shoulders or neck for a number of reasons.

One reason is so they can smell your scent, and another reason is to be as close to you as possible.

Any of those reasons would mean that it’s an emotion of love from your doodle.

13. Cry When There’s Even the Smallest Distance Between You

This is quite a tell-tale sign of the love and existence of a tight bond between you.

Perhaps you are in a new environment with your Labradoodle and he apparently freaks out a lot more than usual when you walk away, this typically means that he not only loves you, but he’s also being highly protective of you.

I have previously gone on hiking trips with my Labradoodle Monty and if I walked away from him for even a minute or two, he would start whining and trying to get back to me instantly.

He never did anything like that while at home, but only when we were out in strange new places.

That’s true love right there!

14. Attempt to Climb Into Your Lap at the Worst of Times

Perhaps you’re sitting and skyping with your boss, having a serious discussion with your neighbor in your kitchen, and suddenly your Labradoodle jumps up into your lap.

All 70 pounds of him, making you grunt like a Buffalo.

Labradoodles love being near the ones they love and if they see you sitting down with easy access onto your lap, regardless of what you’re doing, they’ll go for it.

The good news here is that they only do this with those they love, so you should consider yourself quite lucky!

15. Breathe Deeply While Their Nose is Pressed Against You

For a dog, the smell is everything.

When your Doodle is over the moon for you he might just try to jam his nose into your cheek, neck, or any other place on you and start breathing as intensely as possible.

Labradoodle owners often say this is some that usually happens in the middle of the night. And while it might be a little creepy, rest assured, it’s only love.

Regrettably, they also enjoy doing this right after they just had a big gulp of water from their bowl and their mouth is soaking with water.

But if your Doodle only does it when he’s dripping with water, perhaps he is actually just trying to annoy you!

16. Nuzzle Their Head Under Your Arm

If your Labradoodle shoves his head under your arm while you’re trying to write an article about Labradoodle love for your website, then he most likely loves you.

At least that’s something I have experienced a few times.

This is also usually just a cry for attention, but Doodles will only search for that kind of attention from those in the family they’re closely bonded with.

So you should consider yourself lucky! At least that’s what I do.

17. Act Eager to Listen When You Talk

If your Labradoodle adores you, he’ll give you his full focus, and he will seemingly always “try to figure you out.”

That means that you won’t have any problem keeping their attention while you are talking to them.

Talking with your dog frequently helps to build an emotional connection between you.

If your Labradoodle loves you, he’ll be longing for that connection and he enjoys focusing on you while you are talking.

18. Yawn When You Yawn

A Labradoodle only wants to have their actions and emotions in tune with an owner who they feel much love and affection for.

So if your Doodles is so much in tune with you that he always yawns around the time you yawn, then he most likely loves you.

But it’s not just with yawning this shows.

If your dog gets up and does some stretching when you do, takes in a deep breath with you, or generally likes to mimic any actions you perform, then you have a Doodle who is very much in tune with you.

That means that they’ve bonded closely with you as their owner and for sure have a high level of love for you.

19. Places Their Slobbery-Wet Toy Right on You

For a dog, giving up their favorite toy or chew bone isn’t just something they do for anyone.

The natural instincts of a dog are to be extremely possessive of things such as those.

So if you’re lucky enough to have your dog come over and hand over their favorite toy to you by placing it firmly in your lap, then you are the inner part of that dog’s circle of trust!

So if you’re fortunate enough to get a soaking wet toy in your lap after your dog just finished going to town on this water bowl, consider yourself fortunate.

Love from a dog is really great, isn’t it?

20. Frequently Check-in While in New Places

Whenever you are in a new environment, your Labradoodle will look to you for reassurance and as part of the protective instincts in him.

So if you happen to notice that your dog continually stops what they are doing and attempt to make eye contact with you even for just a few seconds before going back to what he was doing, that’s an expression of the connection they feel with you.

This is something that can be very apparent in a setting such as a dog park for example.

21. Stealing Your Socks While You Are Gone

This point is also somewhat linked with the scent thing for Labradoodles.

If they’re stealing small items that have your scent all over them, such as socks or underwear, you shouldn’t get mad—it’s just love!

Remember that scent is very important in the dog world and if it’s not possible for them to be near you right now, having even the smallest thing nearby with your scent on it is the next best thing for them.

labradoodle love

22. Randomly Lures You to Rough House

This is something especially puppies love to do, and while they’ll do this with strangers also, you will quickly see that you’re your dog’s go-to partner for some fun.

Out in the wild, dogs will wrestle and play fight all the time as a way of building stronger bonds.

If your Labradoodle is focused on you as their number one playmate and loves to challenge you to some roughhousing at a moment’s notice, then that loving family-type bond is very strong and they want to make it even stronger.

23. Get Sad When You’re Getting Ready to Leave

A Labradoodle who loves you will start to feel an increase in anxiety when he can see that you are about to get ready to leave the house for the day.

He will often start to cry or whimper, and he might also start to be glued to your side even more than usual (if that’s even possible).

But it could also be a sign of separation anxiety, which there’s a very large risk of with a Doodle that feels an extra tight bond with you.

So if you find that your dog is destroying things, barking constantly, or looking for ways to escape while you’re away, make sure you look into ways to help your dog overcome the separation anxiety.

Having your dog suffer all day while you’re gone isn’t something you want to experience.

24. Over-the-Moon Excited When You Return

This is another thing pretty much every Labradoodle owner has experienced, but there’s a difference between your dog just being excited because someone might want to play with them, or if the excitement is because whoever they love has returned.

You can compare how your dog acts with others with how he acts when it’s you, as a Labradoodle who loves their owner will get a lot more happy and excited when their owner gets home.

Most likely they will be jumping in circles, fetching their favorite toy, whining, and you’ll notice their tail flying from one side to the other at record-breaking speeds.

Try and ask others who might come to your house when you’re not around to describe how your Labradoodle acts when they see them.

They might be happy to see them, but it’s nowhere near how they are when you return home. 

25. Roll Onto Their Back With Their Legs Up in the Air

Some might think this position is natural for a dog, but it really isn’t.

You might believe it is, but that’s only because you have a Doodle who’s madly in love with you.

Believe me, a dog would never ever do this out in the wild.

This position is by far the most submissive position a dog could ever take, and in the wild, it’s also the most dangerous position as they are completely open to attacks.

And if your dog is comfortable enough to do this around you, you can bet it means his love for you is over-ruling those natural instincts.

He also trusts you completely and has bonded with you to the point that allows him to stay, fully relaxed, in a submissive position with you.

Great job, your Labradoodle loves you!

Final Thoughts

The bond between humans and canines has been around for somewhere between 15,000 to 30,000 years (source) and it seems to be especially strong in Labradoodles especially.

After reaching out to lots of Labradoodle owners while researching this article, these were the twenty-five most common ways they reported that their Labradoodle show their love for them.

But of course, this isn’t a complete list as there are many other ways they can do it, and if you know your dog well, you know exactly when they’re saying “I love you”.

Labradoodles are a truly fantastic breed.

They’re so extremely intuned with human emotions that it at times seems like they can almost feel exactly what you’re feeling.

If you stumbled on this page looking for signs of love from your Labradoodle, then I’m quite confident you know exactly what I’m talking about.

Now go give your furry friend some love!

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