Recently, psychologists performed a study on dog behavior and learned without a doubt that dogs do get jealous. Whether it’s jealousy as humans experience it, or an offshoot of deeply ingrained dog behavior like resource guarding or redirected excitement, dogs do feel envy.

Here are some ways dogs show they love or trust someone, according to veterinarians.

• A dog that loves you will likely recognize your name — and be visibly excited when they hear it.
• Dogs can show trust by bringing you items that need “fixing.”
• A dog may show they are devoted to you by guarding you while you eat.

If your dog follows you into the bathroom, it’s likely a result of their animal instinct and pack mentality. Canines who do this are referred to as “Velcro dogs,” due to their desire to be attached to your side. They may follow you around, even to the bathroom, to protect a part of their pack.

There is a lot of debate among animal behaviourists about this but most agree that no, dogs can’t laugh. At least not in the sense that humans can laugh. However, dogs can make a sound that is similar to a laugh, which they typically do when they are playing. It’s caused by a breathy panting that’s forcefully exhaled.

He concludes that dogs do have feelings of “embarrassment, shyness and humiliation.” Another researcher, neurobiologist Dr. Frederick Range at the University of Vienna, agrees.

But there may be days when we wonder, “Why does my dog follow me everywhere?” The answer has to do with your dog’s animal instinct, pack mentality, and a few other variables. Canine companions that follow their humans everywhere are often referred to as “velcro dogs” because of their desire to be attached to your side.

Just as humans stare into the eyes of someone they adore, dogs will stare at their owners to express affection. In fact, mutual staring between humans and dogs releases oxytocin, known as the love hormone. This chemical plays an important role in bonding and boosts feelings of love and trust.

A dog’s range of hearing is wider than ours but not as accurate. Perking their ears up while tilting their heads helps them pinpoint where noises are coming from more quickly. It also helps them to hear and interpret the tone of our voices, and pick out familiar words such as ‘walkies’.

It’s probably the result of associative learning. For example, a dog can learn to recognize the sound of a specific car and anticipate the arrival of the person associated with that car (such as the dog’s owner). It has learned that a specific sound is associated with you coming home (thus, associative learning).