For dog owners, few sights are as heart-wrenching as their pet’s “puppy dog eyes” when they leave the house. While humans must go to work, exercise, shop, and socialize, dogs often don’t understand these absences and spend hours waiting and wondering when their beloved owner will return.

Adrienne Carson, Vice President of Behaviour and Training at St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare, explains that dogs miss their owners deeply because they associate them with happiness and security. Research shows a direct link between the length of an owner’s absence and the intensity of a dog’s excitement upon their return. This highlights not only a dog’s social nature but also the emotional void they feel when their favorite person is away, even when they don’t suffer from full-blown separation anxiety.

Fortunately, Carson notes that dogs thrive on routines and familiar environments. While they might initially feel sad when their owner leaves for work, they soon settle into typical “dog stuff” like sleeping, chewing on toys, or listening for familiar sounds. In fact, much of their alone time is spent sleeping, which helps them pass the hours more easily.

The question of what dogs dream about offers additional comfort. Stanley Coren, Professor Emeritus of Psychology, suggests that dogs dream about “doggy things” and their “favorite activities,” with their owners likely playing starring roles in these dreams. This implies that even when apart, dogs may still be “spending time” with their humans in their subconscious minds. Supporting this, Dr. Deirdre Barrett, a clinical and evolutionary psychologist, explains that dogs, like humans, dream about their daily experiences, making it highly probable that they dream about their owners.

Adding to this understanding, a viral TikTok video by Animals Studio highlights that dogs not only love their owners deeply but also consider them part of their family. The video notes that dogs receive more protection and affection from humans than they do from other dogs, reinforcing the profound bond between species.

However, being left alone is not natural for most breeds, and dogs may express their unease in different ways. This can include vocalizations like barking and whining, or, in more distressing cases, symptoms such as vomiting, indoor urination, or destructive chewing. The Animals Studio video further suggests that when owners leave after quality time together, dogs often spend their solitary hours replaying those joyful moments, proof that even in absence, love remains their constant companion.