Puppy love, also known as a crush, is an informal term for feelings of romantic love, often felt during childhood and early adolescence. It is an infatuation usually developed by someone's looks and attractiveness at first sight. Such feelings fade away when the object of attraction stays out of sight for a while, whereas the feeling of real love takes a long time to develop and does not fade with time and or in the absence of the other. It is named for its resemblance to the adoring, worshipful

affection Affection or fondness is a "disposition or state of mind or body" that is often associated with a feeling or type of love. It has given rise to a number of branches of philosophy and psychology concerning emotion, disease, influence, and sta ...

that may be felt by a puppy. Puppy love typically lasts between 2 months and 2 years, and is thought to be fueled by

preadolescent hormone Preadolescence is a stage of human development following middle childhood and preceding adolescence.New Oxford American Dictionary. 2nd Edition. 2005. Oxford University Press. It commonly ends with the beginning of puberty. Preadolescence is c ...

s. Some scientists, however, think it is initiated as a result of the natural development of the brain at the onset of preadolescence. The term can be used in a derogatory fashion, presuming the affair to be shallow and

transient ECHELON, originally a secret government code name, is a surveillance program (signals intelligence/SIGINT collection and analysis network) operated by the five signatory states to the UKUSA Security Agreement:Given the 5 dialects that us ...

in comparison to other forms of love.

Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud ( , ; born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating pathologies explained as originating in conflicts i ...

, however, was far from underestimating the power of early love, recognizing the validity of "the proverbial durability of first loves".

Characteristics

Puppy love is a common

experience Experience refers to conscious events in general, more specifically to perceptions, or to the practical knowledge and familiarity that is produced by these conscious processes. Understood as a conscious event in the widest sense, experience involv ...

in the process of maturing. The object of attachment may be a

peer Peer may refer to: Sociology * Peer, an equal in age, education or social class; see Peer group * Peer, a member of the peerage; related to the term "peer of the realm" Computing * Peer, one of several functional units in the same layer of a ne ...

, but the term can also describe the fondness of a child for an adult. Most often, the object of the child's infatuation is someone years older, like a teacher, friend of the family, actor, or musician, about whom the child will spend their time daydreaming or fantasizing. A crush is described as a coming-of-age experience where the child is given a sense of individualism because they feel intimate emotions for a person not part of their own family.

In popular culture

Canadian singer Paul Anka wrote and released the single " Puppy Love" in 1960, reaching number 2 in the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The remake by

Donny Osmond Donald Clark "Donny" Osmond (born December 9, 1957) is an American singer, dancer, actor, television host, and former teen idol. He first gained fame performing with four of his elder brothers as the Osmonds, earning several top ten hits and go ...

peaked at number 1 in the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

and number 3 in the US in 1972. Country singer

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album ...

's first single, released in the 1950s when she was a child, was also called "Puppy Love". Singer Barbara Lewis released a song entitled "Puppy Love" in January 1964. Australian rock band Front End Loader featured a song called "Puppy Love" on their 1992 eponymous album. Bow Wow released a song called " Puppy Love" in January 2001. Hip hop artist Brother Ali wrote a song about puppy love titled "You Say (Puppy Love)". The electric powwow group

A Tribe Called Red The Halluci Nation, formerly known as A Tribe Called Red, is a Canadian electronic music group who blend instrumental hip hop, reggae, moombahton and dubstep-influenced dance music with elements of First Nations music, particularly vocal chan ...

released a song titled "Native Puppy Love" on their self-titled album. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote short stories "valuing the intuitiveness of puppy love over mature, reasoned affection... ts'unreal, undesirous medley of ecstasy and peace'".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Puppy Love Romance Child sexuality Child development da:Forelskelse

Characteristics

In popular culture

See also

References