Animal Behavior
Why Your Dog Feels Like the Best One in the World
Exploring emotion, presence, and meaning through pet photography.
Posted June 5, 2025 Reviewed by Gary Drevitch
Key points
- Photography helps reveal emotional aspects of human-animal relationships.
- Watching people and dogs interact reveals rituals of emotional co-regulation and care.
- Photographs reveal relational patterns that also emerge in the therapy room.
Photography started as a hobby for me. However, as a clinician and researcher specializing in human-animal relationships, I came to see in it another way to listen not only to people but also to companion animals and to what exists in this powerful relationship. While research helps me understand this bond through measurable patterns, photography offers something else: a way to capture presence, emotion, and connection, which are the kinds of things that are often felt more than said.
A Personal Project That Became Something More
In the past months, I have done several photo sessions with different dogs and families, and the photos included in this post are a result of this work. I offer all photo sessions free of charge, and every image I share is shared here with full consent. This process also involves hearing all kinds of stories about these bonds, which just makes the experience more meaningful. Something I keep hearing is “I have the best dog," which usually comes with beautiful stories of emotional support and resilience. I see this statement about the “best dog” as a declaration of love. These dogs differ in age, breed, and temperament, but what they seem to have in common is their place in someone’s life story.
For some people, the session is seen as a farewell because the dog is sick or aging. In this context, the photographs become part of a grief process already unfolding. It is possibly a way to remember, honour, and hold on. I see the care and tenderness in the way people position the dog beside them, and at the same time, I hear the way they speak more slowly when sharing about their relationship with the dog.
For others, these sessions are a way to celebrate everyday joy or register a special moment in their lives. The sessions are usually lively and sometimes involve games, specific tricks, and lots of play. As my main idea is to capture genuine interactions, there is room for different paces and styles. Some want to have a memory of how the dog leans against their chest at the end of the day. Others want to show the trick that took months to be taught. For others, the goal is to capture their kids having fun with the family dog.
These are more than just trivial details as they speak about specific ways people interact with their dogs. In this process, they talk about how they adjusted to their dogs’ needs and how they support each other. They are small rituals of mutual co-regulation, which make these moments unique and meaningful. They often express how people decompress, reconnect, and find comfort, and by sharing these moments, they offer cues about what is meaningful to them in these interspecies emotional connections.
In therapy, we often explore what brings stability and meaning to daily life. When a dog – or any other companion animal – is part of people’s lives, it is crucial to make room to allow individuals to share these moments, which are part of the foundation of self-regulation and comfort.
A Unique Bond
One of the most powerful things I have observed is that people are not only looking for beautiful portraits of their pets. They want to be seen with their companion dogs and ensure that the uniqueness of this bond is clearly captured. In other words, they want to capture the emotions associated with this relationship, which makes the sessions so emotionally rich.
The stories come pouring out: “This is how he looks at me when I am anxious.” “She only sleeps curled up against my back.” “When she started learning this trick, she was so afraid, but now she trusts me” – and there is so much pride in sharing challenging moments that were overcome with collaborative work. Sometimes, part of the session is just observing while waiting for the dog to release energy and watching how the person senses when it is the best time for calm or play. These interactions are deeply meaningful, and I feel privileged to capture through my lens the emotional impact of the bond people share with their dogs.
Something essential I have learned is that the bond between people and their companion animals comes in different forms, but it is not just tender and charming. It offers grounding, companionship, opportunities for self-discovery, and a feeling of continuity. It also may offer opportunities to connect with others. These characteristics make these relationships vital and deeply meaningful.
Why This Relationship Matters in Clinical Settings
In therapy, this perspective helps me access an emotional layer that often deepens my understanding of animals as a bridge for support, a concept that research has already shown. Also, many people show a remarkable ability to recognize their companion animal’s individuality, and through this, I gain powerful insights into how they navigate relationships, attachment, and emotional complexity.
What I have learned is that when someone says, “This is the best dog,” what they are likely trying to express is, “This love shaped who I am." At the same time, it is another way of saying: ‘What I feel with this one, I don’t feel with anyone else." In this sense, it is not just about the dog but mainly about what comes alive in people with their dogs.
Facebook image: Stock Holm/Shutterstock
