If you have been wondering whether or not your Malamute loves you, this post will show you thirteen ways you can tell.
The most common signs that your Malamute loves you are that it puts itself in vulnerable positions around you, it licks you a lot, it gets excited when you come home, it leans on you or if it often makes eye contact with you.
There are actually many ways to tell if it loves you and there are a number of things you can do to get it to love you more.
Ways your Malamute could be showing it loves you
It follows your orders
One way your Malamute might be showing that it loves you is by listening to what you tell it to do. If it does what you tell it to, it would be a sign that it loves you since it suggests that it trusts you and that it respects you as the leader.
It protects you and your home
If your Malamute becomes protective, when there is someone around your home, it would also be a sign that it loves you. This is because it suggests that it wants you to be safe and that it does not want intruders coming into its home.
It noses you
Sometimes dogs will “nose” people which is where they put their nose on them and smell them, usually so that they can gather information about where they have been. If your Malamute noses you a lot it would be a sign that it loves you since it shows that it wants to know where you have been, how healthy you are and that you are ok.
It makes eye contact with you
When dogs look at their owners in the eyes it releases Oxytocin which is a hormone that promotes bonding (source). So, if your Malamute often makes eye contact with you, it would be a sign that it loves you.
It puts itself into vulnerable positions
It could also be the case that your Malamute has been showing it loves you by putting itself into vulnerable positions around you. If it puts itself in vulnerable positions when it is around you such as by laying on its back, it would suggest that it trusts you and that it feels comfortable around you.
It licks you
If your Malamute licks you often then this would also be a sign that it loves you. This is because dogs will groom each other by licking them and they will lick when they are being submissive. So, licking you would be a sign that it considers you as a part of its pack and that it respects you.
It gets excited when you come home
Another way that it might show that it loves you is by getting excited when you come home. If it does then it would suggest that it is glad to see you, that you are ok and that it enjoys having you around.
It gets you to rub its belly
Another way that it might show that it loves you is by getting you to rub its belly. This is because it puts itself into a vulnerable position when you rub its belly so it shows that it trusts you and that it feels comfortable with you.
It leans on you
If your Malamute often leans on you this would also be a sign that it loves you. This is because it would show that it trusts you, it feels more comfortable when it is very close to you and that it feels more secure when it is with you.
It doesn’t hide from you
There are also things your Malamute might not be doing which could also be a sign that it loves you. If your Malamute does not try to hide from you when you are around even that would be a sign that it loves you. This is because it shows that it feels secure around you and that it wants to be around you.
It keeps pace with you on walks
Another sign would be if it keeps pace with you when you take it for a walk. If your Malamute did not love you it would not be willing to keep pace with you especially when off the leash since it would not trust you and it would not be interested in being near you.
It brings things to you
Another sign that it loves you would be if it brings you gifts. This is because it shows that it wants to make you happy and that it wants you to be ok.
It follows you around
Another sign that it loves you would be if it follows you around. This is because it shows that it feels more comfortable around you and that it believes being around you is in its best interest.
Things to consider
Not showing signs of affection doesn’t mean that it doesn’t love you
It is important to consider that not showing affection does not necessarily mean that it does not love you. Dogs will show affection in many different ways and it could be the case that your Malamute is actually showing you affection but in ways that you are not recognizing.
If it stopped showing affection suddenly
It would also help to consider whether or not your Malamute stopped showing affection suddenly. If it did then it would help to consider what else happened when it started doing it since it might be the case that there was an event such as becoming ill that caused it to start.
How to get your Malamute to love you more
Below are a number of things you can do to get your Malamute to love you more.
Give it exercise
The Malamute is a breed that is meant to get a lot of exercise everyday in order to be fully stimulated. When they do not get enough exercise it can cause them to behave abnormally and to develop other issues.
Generally, it is recommended to exercise them for at least an hour daily and the American Kennel Club actually recommends two hours daily. If yours is not currently getting much exercise it would help to make sure that it does start getting exercise provided that it is healthy.
Feed it right
It is also important to make sure that you are feeding your Malamute the right diet. You can look here to see what sorts of foods you should and should not be feeding it. You can also consult with your vet on its diet to make sure that you are feeding it the right amounts and that it is eating the correct foods.
Take it for yearly checkups
It is also important to take it for yearly checkups with the vet so that potential issues can be found sooner rather than later.
Give it training
In order to maintain a healthy relationship with your Malamute and so that it is well behaved it is important to give it lots of training. By giving it lots of training you will be able to get it to behave the way you want it to and to get it to be more responsive to your command. If you have not given it much training, it would help to start with the basics and then to build up from there.
Avoid punishing it
It would also help to avoid punishing it since it might not know why it is being punished and it could cause it to have feelings of resentment or to become aggressive. Instead, it would help to use consistent positive reinforcement training to get it to behave the way you want it to. This is where you avoid rewarding it when it does not behave the way you want and reward it when it does.