Scientists at Emory University scanned dogs brains and came up with some very sweet findings. Not only do dogs love their owners very deeply, they also see their humans as family and seek emotional support from them more than other dogs.

The scans revealed that the smell of a dog’s owner activated their “rewards center,” meaning that they see their owner’s presence as a treat. More than that, they are hard-wired to seek out and perceive our emotions. they then seek to engage with people in those emotions.

They are also cognitively wired to look to humans for emotional support in the same way a toddler does. When horse or cats are afraid, they run away from people, but when dogs are scared, they run to their owner for protection like a child.

You knew your dog loved you, but it seems they need you more than you ever thought.