One person dog

okironokiron
edited May 2008 in General
Well people on the forum has shared how much their dog is attached to one person more than anyone else. In Kona's case, attached to Jen more than Brad and will be annoyingly persistent to get to Jen if Brad has him.

Do you believe that to be a personality trait, a breed trait, or both? How severe is the attachment? What do you think consists when the dog chooses which person to connect with? Is it who feeds them, walks them, plays with them, trains them or just the one who the dog spends more time with? Other factors?

Comments

  • scarletscarlet
    edited November -1
    Jake doesn't have a choice. It's me or no one :-)

    My dog before him mostly came to me for comfort and my ex to play. We would laugh at times when Richard would call Bandit and Bandit would run to me. It was about the same time that dinasour cartoon was on and reminded us of the episode where the mother went away and the Dad took care of the baby and the baby hit the Dad on the head with the frying pan when he wasn't cooking the way mom did "not the mommy, not the mommy!" So, Bandit at those times we always quoted him as saying 'no, no, not the mommy!' The one before Bandit, that I had for 10 years before meeting my ex, would growl at me if I tried to take her from Richard. Go figure...
  • HeidiHeidi
    edited November -1
    Tojo is much more attached to me than Noah and I attribute it to the fact that I was home with him all the time when he was a puppy and Noah was gone most of the time. Although, he's also very very attached to my mother-in-law and I can't really pinpoint that one, other than that he stayed with her for a week while Noah and I went on vacation once. Rakka seems more attached to Noah than to me and I'm pretty sure it's because he lets her lick, paw, and gnaw on him. When she does that to me, I make her stop, so I think they've "bonded" more through that. I just hate being licked.
  • RyuRyu
    edited November -1
    Ryu's very attached to Tim. I'm home with him twice as much as Tim but it never fails, as soon as we come home, I let him out of the crate and he makes a beeline for our bedroom in search of Tim. It's almost as if I don't exist until he finds him. I think it's because Tim plays with him while I feed him, take him out for walks, brush him, etc. With Tim, it's all playtime. But I could be wrong - as I'm finding out more on a daily basis that I am :-)

    The worst is when Tim leaves for business trips and is gone for two weeks. The first few days, its pure heartbreak to see Ryu search every corner of the house for him. Then he mopes about until Tim comes home :-(
  • ljowen123ljowen123
    edited November -1
    Without a doubt, Jazz is attached to me. I think it may be from when I picked her up, I drove 7 hours home with her in the front seat (I know, I know) with my hand resting on her and talking to her the entire time. Once we got home - I picked a weekend that my niece and nephews would not be home - I just laid in the floor with her with my hand on her and still talking. I then spent all day on Sunday focused on her whenever she came out of her crate. People started coming by to see her about a week later and it was confirmed that she had imprinted on me because she would immediately come to me and sit when people would come in - she likes everyone else, but she's my shadow.
  • ddowdemersddowdemers
    edited November -1
    In may case, Tenji was bred by a woman, his trainer is a woman, and he is home with me all day. He likes everyone that he will meet on a walk but definitely favors women. I play, train, feed and take him for long walks. I am sure all of these factors point to why I am the "preferred one".
  • dlrobertsdlroberts
    edited November -1
    I have to agree, Lucy definitely favors me over my roomate. I'm pretty sure its because I'm the one to walk, feed, play, sleep with, and bathe her. He's been out of the country since before I got Joey so we'll see how it goes when he gets back (which is tomorrow, I'm soooooo not looking forward to it).

    As for being a breed trait vs. personality trait, I think its probably a combination of both. I've read in multiple places that Shibas tend to bond very closely with one person. That leads me to believe that it is determined to some degree by breed; however, I'm sure there's plenty of variation across Shibas so to some degree it must be a personality trait as well.
  • tsukitsunetsukitsune
    edited November -1
    It has taken Kitsune a little bit to show me any sort of free willed affection unless I'm eating or have a bone in my hand - but his connection with my husband was instant. I think thats why we ended up adopting him within a week of fostering - their connection was so genuine, and John's first dog was our first foster together 3 years ago so he never really understood what its like to have your own dog.. and now that he does it is endearing. And Kitsune has thrived on my husband's connection to him! Even though I feed and give all treats and distribute all bones and toys, he is John's dog. John handles him, John trained him, John is working with him the most in his social transitions with the behaviorist. He is John's dog. Its recent that he's been cuddling to me and getting excited to see me. I'm thrilled with that!

    Tsuki is everyman's dog. She loves everyone and everything. But if she gets nervous to unsure of something, she does run to me. She will stand behind me if a dog or person is making her uncomfortable and she sleeps on my side of the bed. I think she responds more to me because I trained her and we have that bond. But she loves John too and will cuddle up to him in my absence.
    I wouldn't say she is a one person dog though.

    But I can see the need for that sort of attachment with foster dogs that have come and gone, but I try not to entertain that emotion to save it for their forever home, but thats a really hard thing to do. I think most dogs need their person, their best friend. But I will admit to breaking that for Linus the basset hound. I just fell in love with him and I was his person until his adoptive family came and he left with them and didn't look back.. that made it OK for me!
  • BradA1878BradA1878
    edited November -1
    In Kona's case I think it is a breed trait.

    I have noticed that females bond with me more and males bond with Jen more, tho that could be totally my fault as I may favor the girls more.

    Ahi is the exception, she has bonded with Jen more but that is because Jen spent so much time with her when we lived in ATL [imo]. Otherwise the sex theory hold true, imo.

    ----
  • sujewelsujewel
    edited November -1
    Keigo has definitely bonded with me more. He's my boy. No doubt. With Mika it depends on the situation. When she's hurt she looks to me. She also looks to me for treats and play. But she listens to Kurt more and is more affectionate with him. However, she listens more to him because he's more likely to allow her to continue her bad behavior. And she's more affectionate with him only when he lets her on the bed....which is always. Mommy doesn't like dogs sleeping in bed all night!!!

    Kurt loves the dogs, he just doesn't put as much into the actual owning of dogs...including play. He's more a cat person who loves dogs too. You all remember Ryu and Tim running around the house....that's me and the dogs. Mika's a little more weary of wrestling with me tho. I hurt her once. I grabbed her by the chest and took her off her feet onto me. She yelped. No more wrestling after that. I know, it sounds bads, but she's frickin' 90lbs. I don't weigh much more than her!
  • kwyldkwyld
    edited May 2008
    Kohji is attached to me the most because I always walk him, feed him and take him places with me and I believe it is a breed trait too. The first two times I went out of town and had John watch him, he had severe stress diarrhea within 12 hours of my being gone. Kohji seems to prefer anyone who gives him food though too, food is really important with him.
    Taj is pretty independent and is attached to me but she could live with another person and become just as close with them.
    News seemed attached to me the most when I first got him, but I went to Alabama and John watched the dogs for a week, and ever since then News has seemed a lot closer to him, even though I exercise him and feed him. Him and his previous owner didn't really seem to connect(she was a woman). She had her friend watch him for a few weeks who was a guy and he became extremely attached to him during that time. I think he prefers men more than women.
  • JessicaRabbitJessicaRabbit
    edited November -1
    Moto and Piglet are definitely my dogs. especially Piglet. Miko is 110% Jasons dog. She loves me. But when Jason walks into the room you can see the heart bubbles floating off her.
  • RomiRomi
    edited May 2008
    Well technically, Portia is Johns dog and Ninja is my dog. I think Ninja and Portia both love affection from me, but don't take me as seriously as they do John when I correct them. They are far more respectful to John than me. But, they both follow me around a lot. Mostly Ninja. I think Ninja is more in tune with me because I do a lot of the training with him. But if I were to call Portia and John were to call her, she would definately go to him. And with Ninja, im sure he would come to me. But I don't really think they are attached to one of us more than the other.
  • kiari101kiari101
    edited November -1
    When it comes to our pup Kairi, she was ment to be my dog (I bought her and all) but listens to John alot more. I believe she sees him as the primary lead of the pack with me following that. Because she does listen to me too. She does tricks for me and not him, so who knows. I don't know why she really favors him over me but sometimes it annoys me but it's not our choice...it's hers. As long as she's happy. I just want her to listen to me as well as him.
  • okironokiron
    edited November -1
    Brad I believe in the sex theory as well as the feeding theory. Whoever feeds them is who they're more loyal to. That's why I had Errik feed the animals when he moved in with me, so that the animals will know it's ok to trust him. But it makes sense for the dogs to listen to whoever will let them get away with more. Who knows, maybe it's a factor of everything.
  • HeidiHeidi
    edited November -1
    Sometimes when Noah tells Tojo to do something, Tojo will look at me and won't obey until I say, "Okay, go do it." It's funny.
  • dlrobertsdlroberts
    edited November -1
    Hahaha. I bet Noah just LOVES that. :-/
  • ljowen123ljowen123
    edited November -1
    Jazz does that whenever somebody other than me wants to walk her. I tell her leash, she will go sit in her spot, and if anyone else tries to leash her, she comes back to me and gives me this look of "you're not really going to send me outside with them, are you?"
  • JessicaRabbitJessicaRabbit
    edited November -1
    Heidi that's funny the dog here all do the same thing with me. Even Miko who is Jay's baby girl will look to me if he issues a command. She adores him, but listens to me.
  • MommyofNikoMommyofNiko
    edited November -1
    Im trying to catch up now. Niko is not really dedicated to either of us more than another. She comes to me for comfort and Chad plays with her. If we are separated she will find a place that is in between us like the top of the stairs when I am in the bedroom and Chad is downstairs. Sasha is my baby but more and more accepting Chad when I am gone. I have been leaving her with him when I go upstairs to work on their bond.
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