Loyalty is a virtue that is believed to be mostly exhibited by humans. But is it limited to us? No! Certain animals have shown to be so loyal to their owners, you’d probably fall for them all if we’d tell you stories on them. And yes, dogs aren’t the only loyal animals, and you’ll understand that when you get to the end of the list.
1.) Dogs
Nothing beats a long walk with your furry BFF on a nice Sunday evening. Yes, we’re talking about dogs. The love, affection, and care that dogs harbor for us is inspiring and sometimes so overwhelming that when you don’t live with one, you might just want to rush to the nearest breeder and adopt one.
What makes dogs the most common and loved pets is their loyalty. Have you seen how strays, if you feed them twice or thrice for a few days, start to look forward to seeing you, wagging their tail, doing that ‘happy’ woof to show how happy they are to see you? That’s the kind of loyalty dogs have for the person who looks after them and nourishes them with care.
Why are Dogs so Loyal?
Researchers believe that dogs evolved from wolves when humans started feeding them to tame them to become guard dogs. The food and shelter that wolves received over the years made them evolve gradually, and the modern age dogs are the result of humans and wolves cohabitation.
This is followed by the fact that wolves tend to live in packs and are highly social animals that believe in helping the pack members survive. The loyalty towards their pack can also be considered a survival mechanism since we all know ‘unity is strength.’
Since dogs are linked to the wolves, it can be said that the loyalty that’s embedded in them is a survival mechanism that they think necessary to survive when you provide them food, shelter, and care (considering that they think you’re a part of their pack).
Have you ever heard of the alpha-wolf factor? The same goes for dogs. During obedience training, the trainer acts as the authoritative personality so the dog could consider him as his leader. When you put it all together, you understand that both dogs and wolves follow and stay loyal to their alphas or leaders.
Can Dogs be Pets?
Of course, they can be pets; there are high chances you own a dog, and you’re cuddling with him right now as you read. But, if you don’t own a dog, do not go gaga and evaluate all your options before you adopt one. A dog needs extensive care as a baby, including frequent visits to the vet and a lifetime commitment.
So if you are sure that you want a dog and can tackle the challenges that come with petting them, go on and understand why dogs make the most adorable and affectionate pet of them all.
Dogs are faithful companions to you.
They are with you in your bad days and good. The best part? A dog can sense your mood, whether you are happy, sad, angry, or disappointed. It understands your emotions better than humans can, and no matter what, the little furball will try to bring in a little sunshine; however, it can.
They teach us to love, compassion, and commitment.
When you bring home a puppy, it will require extensive care from it’s diet to its hygiene and grooming. When you start looking after the dog, you form an inextricably deep-link to it that makes you feel ‘I am not letting this baby go anywhere.’
Dogs can help us stay active.
Dogs aren’t just highly social animals; they are enthusiastic and overly active. Some dog breeds like Beagles can demand a lot of your energy with all that jumping, scratching, and running. Does this translate to the fact that you run and jump with them, and isn’t this synonymous with exercising?
An evening or a morning walk to the park, frequent visits to the vet, and playtime in the fields on Sundays can greatly support your health and, most importantly, create a little escapade from the daily mundane life.
According to research led by Harvard University, dog owners have a balanced blood pressure due to increased exercising. With balanced blood pressure, you feel stress-free, and we’re sure you know how positive an impact it has on your wellbeing. So, ultimately, your pooch doesn’t just make you happy; it makes you super healthy.
How much do Dogs cost?
Buying a dog significantly depends on its breed and the breeder’s reputation in the market; therefore, the prices are greatly conflicted. In a rough frame, buying a dog can cost anywhere between $200 to $3000 (for designer breeds like French bulldogs).
The cost of petting a dog on an annual basis can be between $380 to $1000, setting aside the emergency potion of about $1000 if your dog falls sick and you have to incur an unexpected vet bill.
2.) Parrots
These highly intelligent creatures will win your heart with their mimicry and sheer ridiculous walk. They are affectionate to humans, and if you pet them the right way, they will soon learn to open up to you.
If you’re keeping your parrot in a cage, it will never really form that inextricably deep link you want, but allowing it to blend with the other people at home and giving it ample space outside a cage since the beginning will allow the bird to invest its faith and trust in you.
Why are Parrots so Loyal?
It’s simple science: loyalty in any creature partly comes from building trust in their owners. If you raise your parrot right (it’s equivalent to raising kids), without abusing them, they will start investing their trust in you. If they are left ignored by their favorite human or forced to do something that they do not want to at the given moment, their trust is easily broken.
The other part of the equation that suggests why parrots are so loyal to their guardians is their strategic adaptation to survive in the wild. Parrots live in a flock to protect themselves from any potential threat and give a collective response to any danger around them. This helps them chase away large predatory birds in the wild to survive individually or at a group level.
This survival mechanism is diffused in their DNA, in simpler terms, so when you bring a parrot home, you become its flock because now it’s dependent on you for food, water, shelter, and most importantly, protection. Thus, when you parent a parrot and treat it right, they will shower love candies on you, quite literally!
The best way to earn a parrot’s loyalty is to let them learn things on their own when they are out of their cage. When you make it feel like it reigns the place with its wings wide and free, it will be more than willing to perch on your hand when you put it back in its’ home’.
Can Parrots be Pets?
Highly Intelligent and Intuitive: Yes, parrots can be your perfect companion, given how intuitive they are about your emotions and moods. A parrot, upon spending ample time with you, will become more empathetic towards you. It can learn to adapt your tone, habits, and body language- get subdued when you’re sad, feel bouncy when you are thrilled and happy, so if you want a pet that can truly understand you, parrots are your babies!
They are highly intelligent creatures that can communicate and solve problems in their flock. Certain studies demonstrate their ability to keep up with preliminary mathematical concepts such as additions and subtractions.
Low maintenance cost: Parrots, unlike dogs and cats, like to keep themselves hygienic. Have you noticed how parrots and birds alike keep preening their feathers all the time? This preening of the feathers is equivalent to grooming a pet, and parrots save you the trouble by removing dust, dirt, parasites, and cooties from their body on their own. In the process, they also align their feathers in an optimal position, which makes them look graceful all the time.
What’s in it for you? The freedom from doing much upkeep in terms of appearance and savings in terms of buying a pet shampoo, trip to pet groomers, and treatment for cooties.
They love the companionship of other pets: Parrots are highly social animals that eventually learn (and start loving) cohabiting with other animals over time. Parrots can be intimidated at first, but a slow introduction to other pets daily allows them to open up to and build a mutual trust level in both the animals.
How much do Parrots cost?
Over 350 species of parrots can be kept as pets, so the pricing can vary from having to spend as little as $150 to $3000 for exotic and rare species of parrots.
Depending on the species, the housing, feeding, and healthcare can vary, and you should always keep $1000 aside as a fixed deposit just in case your parrot falls sick and you become a daily guest at the vet’s office.
3.) Cats
Those tiny and adorable furry creatures love to perch next to a window, going out of the window to taste some fresh air, or at times curled up in a spot on the couch, and watching birds and bugs all day long through the window. Right, we’re talking about cats. It’s a notion that they aren’t loyal and think of humans as their slaves; they love human affection and can be one of your most lovable and reliable companions if you give them ample affection and care.
Why are cats so loyal?
There are many reasons that gave a bad reputation to cats in society, including acting aloof, independent, and unaffectionate to their owners. But studies show that just like any child or dog, cats also develop emotional feelings, loyalty, and attachment to their caretakers, who provide them with food, shelter and make them feel safe and sound.
Can Cats be pets?
Cats can make perfect companions, and if you have always been a feline lover, you’ll fall for cats, even more, knowing the many reasons why you should pet one.
Cats Don’t Take up Much Space
Unlike dogs who require much space because of their size and space, they need to play and daily exercises to live a happy and healthy life, whereas cats don’t require much space; they enjoy slipping in their bed. They can easily adjust and live happily till they get their essentials, like food and water.
Owning a Cat Is More Affordable
Other than buying a specific breed, which can be expensive, the adoption fees of kittens and cats are effectively more affordable than that of adopting a dog or puppy. Expenses on food, shelter, grooming, and vacation are also pretty lower than those of dogs.
Cats Are Perfectly Content Indoors
Owning a dog becomes challenging for people with no yards or gardens, no access to parks, and limited mobility because dogs cannot live a healthy life in an indoor lifestyle; they need exercises, walks, and time spent outdoors to be healthier and happier. It’s not the same with cats, and they are a little lazy who do not demand much of your energy.
Cats Provide Health Benefits
Cats can provide health benefits by reducing your stress, which helps you to live longer. The frequency of vibrations produced by the purring of a cat has therapeutic capabilities on human muscle and bones and even a positive effect on joints mobility.
How much do Cats cost?
A cat’s adoption cost varies from $0-$270, and when you buy a cat bought from breeders, it may cost from $370‐$1,440 depending on the breed and demand. You save $10 – $20 that you would probably have had paid to a dog walker for a 20-min walk because cats happily play alone with their toys at home napping, and lounging in your absence.
4.) Wolves
You must have seen the instances of a wolf’s loyalty in multiple movies but did you know they are just as loyal in real life as they are in reels? Their loyalty is greatly reflected by the fact that they keep only one mate for the rest of their lives. Maybe we humans can learn a thing or two from them (no offense)!
Why are Wolves so Loyal?
These animals living in packs have a strong social bond with their pack individuals, which makes them all loyal to each other. The pups born in the pack are defenseless and born blind, and the pack collectively raises the pup till the age of three, which again shows how strongly they are united to each other.
Can Wolves be Pets?
Wolves are legal pets in many parts of the world and are often categorized under exotic pets. They are also kept as working animals on rare occasions, but most people who own wolves are trainers and wildlife enthusiasts.
If we’re to say, you shouldn’t pet them at your home, because they are, after all, wild animals that have instincts that aren’t so domestic. Wolves may be loyal, but they can never be completely tamed as dogs and cats, and they will never show the same tractability to humans.
Considering their huge size, you’d require ample space in your home to accommodate them, and you can’t ‘really’ rely on them, and it takes double the effort to earn their reliability considering their paranoid nature due to having lived in the wild or traits that passed on from one generation to the other
How much do Wolves Cost?
Wolves don’t come off easily, and there’s always a hefty price tail on their coattail. The wolves and wolf hybrids (bred through ethical practices) can cost $1500. The purest of hybrids can cost anywhere near $2000 or more.
5.) Dolphins
Dolphins, known for their loyalty towards their humans, show great interest in getting close to human beings, and they develop affection for their caretakers. The heart-winning smile can make your day and bring in a little speck of happiness in the otherwise monotonous life. One of the most intelligent creatures on Earth, dolphins, can be our BFFs once they start to bond with us.
Why are Dolphins so Loyal?
Dolphins known for their loyalty towards their humans show great interest in getting close to human beings, and they develop affection for their caretakers. Dolphins, like a true and caring friend, risk their lives and plunge into the depths of danger to rescue and save your life.
Like humans, dolphins are also emotional creatures who show feelings of compassion, happiness, and grief when they lose their fellow dolphins or separate from each other, which reflects the true essence of friendship and loyalty. Their acts of compassion, loyalty, and trust are exceptional, and once they develop a bond and affection for someone, they remember that person throughout their entire life.
Can Dolphins be Pets?
Dolphins are marine animals that live in oceans and seas, and if you take them away from their wild ocean home, they suffer miserably because they just aren’t meant to live in the confines of a human-made concrete tank.
Dolphins swim for more than 40 miles a day in the ocean, where they engage themselves in mating, foraging, fighting, and playing with other dolphins. However, in captivity, they are forced to swim in endless circles in an artificial habitat, which causes psychological stress- they get bored, dull, and in some cases, die if the stress is left unhandled by the caretakers.
When in captivity, they mostly seek food and attention, whereas, in the wild, they might have been playing, hunting, or exploring the ocean. In a fish tank, if they clap and cheer when they see a human (with food), they aren’t delighted to see them; they are just hungry, which is the greatly disappointing and sad reality of fish shows.
Beaching kills them because of their immense weight; their internal organs get crushed and damaged when left in this positioning for an extended period. So, keeping them out of water for too long is lethal for them.
6.) Elephants
Elephants are widely known for their loyalty and affectionate nature towards their human caretakers. You must have come across online videos where baby elephants, even the mature ones, hug and play around with their favorite humans, despite their majestic size. They are one of the most intelligent land animals that can show emotions, and you don’t want to be on their bad side by hurting their caretakers.
Why are elephants so loyal?
Elephants are known for their loyalty, compassion, and socialized attitude. They are often found helping other members of the herd, and if one of them falls, they stay with the injured or dying ones to comfort them.
They show this sympathetic feeling not only for their kind but also for other species in distress. Elephants have a strong social bond; the matriarch leads the group and decides when and where the herd should move, which provides a deep bond for each elephant to the herd. Elephants have an excellent memory power, and they recognize and greet other individuals after a long term of separation, which are all signs of their loyalty.
Can Elephants be Pets?
It is illegal to pet Kerala’s favorite animal; the trading of elephants is a serious offense in India. Let alone India, keeping an elephant is illegal in any part of the world, and even if they were legal to pet, we would advise against it.
An elephant requires 200kg of fodder, and an equal amount of water, which costs around $2000, and additional expenses include medications and Mahout’s wages.
They might run amok and cause damage to property and even people, which should be taken care of and becomes a great responsibility for the owners. Elephants require vast natural environments and social interaction in order to stay physically and mentally sound.
Creating a friendly environment for elephants costs up to $10 million, which is why many zoos have discounted their elephant exhibitions.
How much do Elephants cost?
Taking care of an elephant is ridiculously high, and an average individual can’t maintain the expensive upkeep. It costs up to $40,000 on purchase and about $70,000 per year on fodder.
An adult elephant weighs around 15,000 pounds and, on average, eats 250-300 lbs of vegetation, which may rise up to 600lbs. They need constant monitoring, which makes $15,000-$50,000 spent on monitoring and training an elephant on how fast it acclimates in the new environment.
7.) Ducks
A duck may not come necessarily to mind when thinking of a loving and loyal pet, but surprisingly ducks make wonderful and entertaining companions and develop affection for their owners just like dogs, cats, and any other pet. Their cute little feathered puff ball personality makes them a great choice as pets if you have a yard or a garden and they live for almost 10-15 years.
Why are Ducks so Loyal?
You might have seen ducklings marching uniformly behind their mother and nesting close; this shows that the ducklings get attached to their parents, and in the same way, ducks get attached to humans who raised them and sought their love, attention, and attention throughout life.
Can Ducks be Pets?
Ducks make gentle, loyal, and cute pets, and they are easy to keep and inexpensive to maintain their upkeep. They live for almost 20 years of age, and these perfect fuzz balls fit right into your palm with the oversized flappy feet; it’s impossible not to fall in love with them.
How much do Ducks cost?
Owning a duck is completely inexpensive; their cost varies from $1‐$2 depending on the hatcheries available around you. An annual cost of feeding a duck can cost as little as $100 a year, and you may keep another expense of $100 on its supplies and shelter.
The Most Loyal Dog Breeds You Can Pet
Golden Retriever
These little balls of sunshine are one of the most versatile breeds of dogs, often known to be bird dogs, family pets, search and rescue dogs, and service dogs for the disabled. This breed has a water repellent coat with many varying shades of rich and lustrous golden color.
Feathering on the neck, leg, thigh, underside, and tails are the most identifiable features of a golden retriever, along with its broad head, sturdy neck, muscular shoulder, gentle brown eyes, and broad chest lead to strong thighs.
On average, a golden retriever weighs 25-29 kg, reaches a height of 53-62 cm, and they live for 10-13 years. With proper healthcare, they can live as high as up to 15 years.
Temperament
When it comes to temperament, Golden Retrievers are known for their loyal, intelligent, playful, energetic, and friendly nature, which helps them to get along with other pets. You’d often see them playing with kittens and birds if they cohabit together. A Golden Retriever can be trained easily due to their characteristics like obedience and intelligence, and the best part? Retrievers are people pleasers.
They make good family pets that are extremely fond of children, and adult retrievers love to work until they collapse, which makes them an ideal companion for hunting and other search and rescue jobs.
Retrievers maintain their playful personality throughout their lives, and their puppylike playfulness is never outgrown even if they mature. So, if you parent a retriever, you will be parenting a grown-up baby dog that can’t get enough of you and your love!
Labrador
Labs are famously friendly, compassionate housemates ready to bond with the family members and socialize with other pets. They can’t wait to run to you and cuddle when you get back home from work.
Labrador is sturdy, well balanced, with a dense, hard coat in yellow, black, and luscious chocolate. With a wide head and glimmering eyes and a thick tapering tail, a lab is an enthusiastic athlete requiring many exercises, including swimming and fetching games to keep them physically and mentally healthy. If you’re adopting a lab, you’ll have to be matching active to keep up with your dog.
A labrador has a medium to large well proportioned, sturdy body, weighing about 50 to 80lbs, with an average lifespan of 10-12 years.
Temperament
What makes Labradors the best option for first-time pet owners is their temperament, which is synonymous with words like ‘extremely friendly, agile, intelligent, and definitely loyal to their owners.’
A labrador makes excellent high spirited companions as well as an assistant dog because of their socializing skills. A stable and well-balanced temperament with enough curiosity to learn and adapt to changes makes them an ideal breed to be used as search and detective dogs while also finding a place in therapy work.
With powerful and exceptional swimming skills, aided with the ability to tolerate the coldest of water for extended periods, Labradors make ideal pets for rescue and life-saving missions.
Collie
Originated in Scotland and Northern England, collies are medium-sized with fur that varies in length from short to long with a feathered, smooth and bushy, bob-tailed carried low, and a dramatic upward swirl.
Usually, they have different body coloration types, which includes their base being black, red, and white and patterns of sable, black, and tan, blue merle, sable merle. A medium-sized adult collie generally weighs about 45-75lbs, has a height of 48-66cm and their average lifespan is 14-16 years.
Temperament
Collies are the most intelligent dogs who learn simple tricks and even participate in dog sports for their agility and flexibility. Collies can be trained easily. Praise and reward them with tasty treats- you’ll see how quickly they will be to catch whatever training you throw their way.
Collies don’t enjoy being introduced to new people and places due to their shy nature, which might get them overwhelmed. Young collie can be socialized by introducing them to new people and rewarding them for good interactions.
They are emotionally sensitive who understand your feelings, moods, and stress, but once you break its trust, there’s no going back. What can you do? It’s simple: don’t abuse it physically or verbally because collies understand your tone, and if they think the violence is ample reason (which it is) to undo whatever bonding they’ve formed with you, it’ll take very long for them to open up to you. Collie is moderately active who don’t require excessive exercise; they enjoy being relaxed.
German Shepherd
German Shepherds may look tough from the outside, but if you adopt one, you’ll know they are total SOFTIES! Their scary appearance (as adults) gives them an upper ‘paw’ for being preferred for works like search and rescue, police, military roles, and as disability assistance dogs.
They have a domed shaped forehead with a long square-cut muzzle, erect and pointed ears, black nose, and a bushy tail, and if you haven’t seen one before, you may mistake them for wolves.
German Shepherd generally has a black and tan coat, and the color combination includes a solid black, solid sable, hues of red, and more. Initially, German Shepherds were developed as herding dogs due to their strength, intelligence, and trainability, but now they are preferred for several other jobs, most of which are mentioned above.
German Shepherds are longer than they are tall with a standard height of 60-70 cm, weigh around 20-40 kg, and in general, they live for about 9-13 years.
Temperament
German Shepherds are highly intelligent, loyal, agile, and strong creatures with a willingness to learn new tricks and eagerness to have a purpose. Keep in mind, though- they are extremely loyal to their guardians, and if they look at you as a threat to their human parents, they will activate their ‘killing spree’ mode on you. Therefore, if you adopt a german shepherd, socialize it, give it proper training (they are highly trainable), and the rest of it falls into place.
German shepherds are keen observers and have the thinking ability to solve problems on the fly. Other than being stoic and intelligent, German Shepherds are also sweet and fun-loving companions who are playful when around children and other pets; we told you, they are softies!
FAQs
Which animals are the least loyal?
Extremely solitary animals who survive, hunt alone and avoid social interactions with other animals, and lack communication skills are most likely show the least loyalty to humans and other animals, even animals of their kind. So, when you look at the picture that way, we have Red Pandas, the Sloth, Polar Bears, Leopards, Tortoises, and Skunks listed in our least loyal animal segment.
Can we make our pets more loyal?
There are no such ways in which you can make an animal loyal or more loyal because loyalty isn’t something which they learn on teaching, animals have developed and adapted this quality as a survival mechanism for ages, and some animals are loyal because they get emotionally attached to their caretakers and owners who provide them shelter, food, and safety. However, petting a wild animal may get you to earn some loyalty from them, but they won’t show the same tractability as domestic animals.
How to tame wild animals to pet them?
Domestic animals are generally tolerant of humans, but if you want to have a loyal wild pet, you need to tame them properly so that they get accustomed to living with humans and in their community. When taming a wild animal, the most important thing is to get close to them and increase affection between the animal and human beings, gain their trust and make them feel free and safe.
Establishing affection is easier with the young animals who have better receptivity and are good learners, but sometimes it is quite challenging with stubborn, wild animals. Taming an animal requires courage, patience, and caution. Music, tones, fixed postures, and movements make the taming process easier.
Sources
- Why Are Dogs Loyal?, Petfinder.
- 8 Facts That Show Us Elephants Are People, Too, Huffpost.
