To say that it is the affection they feel and reciprocate falls again under the heading of believing we know what they think and how they feel.
That is not what I was saying. I do not know what they feel or if they think. What I do know is they have a desire to be touched and seem to like it and look for it. That is part of their being a dog. We need to understand things for what they are, not what we want them to be.
“A fool and his money are soon parted.” ~Thomas Tusser