[CptJack]

Reading some threads here (Help! Dog likes my husband/kid/mom more than me) led me to having a conversation with my husband about how, while we didn't notice at the time, our childhood family dogs always had a favorite (and we weren't it *lol*).

Now that Jack's around and we're back into the dog thing, we're noticing a similar thing. He likes everyone in the family well enough, certainly, and enjoys spending time with all of us, but he definitely has a favorite - and it shows. That doesn't bother anyone here, so there's no big deal or desire to change or fix it, but:

Don't most dogs end up with a favorite person (or favorite person for certain things, at least) even within a single household?

 

[GottaLuvMutts]

Depends. How do you define "favorite"?

My dog listens to me much better than she listens to anyone else. But she LOVES other people - particularly those who feed her and let her jump all over them. She thinks anyone who's not me must be a sucker.

 

[CptJack]

I'm never quite sure how people define these things ;-) I think 'preferred person to hang around with' may be the... easiest definition.

We haven't had Jack long enough to know much about what his actual desires and preferences are. I don't think we will for a couple of more weeks. We're juuuust starting to see him be willing to NOT always be sitting on someone's ankles or play a bit. He's just not adjusted, yet.

 

[ThoseWordsAtBest]

That would be most of my dogs. My Dachshund very clearly prefers my company and my Shepherd mutt is obviously partial to me, but the rest don't really care. Jack and Shambles are indifferent to the world at large (if you have food, your food is cool, but you're uninteresting as a whole) and Smalls is friendly to all.

 

[xxxxdogdragoness]

My female Izze had a fav, me. Mostly bc I was alone for a good part of the time when I was raising her but my new dog, Buddy it like totally my new BFF lol, sure we have our quelms like any friendship does (ok... Occasionally I have to tell him that he is being a *whisper* bad dog :/ lol) bu we always 'make up' in thr end, he so all about me that ppl have trouble believing he's an adult rescue.

 

[CptJack]

My female Izze had a fav, me. Mostly bc I was alone for a good part of the time when I was raising her but my new dog, Buddy it like totally my new BFF lol, sure we have our quelms like any friendship does (ok... Occasionally I have to tell him that he is being a *whisper* bad dog :/ lol) bu we always 'make up' in thr end, he so all about me that ppl have trouble believing he's an adult rescue.

I think, somehow, people don't quite understand or ever really get that an adult rescue can bond just as hard and tight as a puppy. I've had both, in my past, and to tell the truth the dogs that have been the MOST bonded to me were not just adult rescues - but senior rescues. Like SERIOUSLY senior (ancient) rescues.

 

[Daenerys]

Faolan and Legend both consider me their favorite. Legend has been "my boy" since I got him at the age of 13. He's been my shadow, and he is never happy when I'm not around. I had to leave the poor boy home for a year when I went to college as a freshman, but he gets to live with me at my apartment now. Faolan likes me better than my fiance even though we got him together, and that's because I'm his main caretaker. My fiance wont do any of the dogs' care unless I ask him to. I'm the one taking Faolan on walks, to the dog park, to pet stores, playing fetch or tug with him at home, and whenever we go visit family I'm also his main caretaker there too.

 

[Elliebell]

Both of my dogs like me and my mom equally. I think SiSi is a little more bonded to my mother, but that's probably because I'm away from her at university for 8 months of the year. Neeka loves both of us, but her favorite person EVER is my grandpa. Whenever he comes over she just goes nuts. I have no idea why, since he doesn't particularly like her and never pays her much attention. In the household think she likes us both the same, though.

 

[Abbylynn]

My dogs love me ... but I believe my dogs "really LOVE" my Dad ... because he doesn't dish out any rules. :/

 

[georgiapeach]

I think most dogs respond best to the person in the household who feeds and cares for them.

I'm more willing to pet them, I take them for walks, groom them, and I feed them. It's not surprising to me that they hang on my every word and movement!

 

[brandiw]

Sasha and Noah don't seem to have a favorite person; whoever is available is fine with them. On the other hand, Heather clearly prefers my husband, and Moe prefers me. Though, if I have food, Heather can be tempted to like me best for a short time (as long as the food lasts).

 

[sassafras]

I think we project our ideas of "favorite" on dogs. To an outside observer, I probably look like my dogs' favorite. They uniformly behave "better" and more seriously for my husband than I do and they don't act as silly with him. With me, they act more overtly goofy and play more with me, and I do more things with them than he does. I think they miss me more if I am gone for an extended period and he stays home than the other way around, but I think that's because their routine is more abnormal when I am gone (he doesn't do the same types of activities with them that I do) rather than that I am their favorite.

But, they are super happy to see him when he comes home, easily as happy as they are to see me. So I'm not convinced I'm actually their favorite person, I just think that I do a lot of their favorite activities with them.

 

[Avie]

Mike's favorite person is my younger sister. Charlie's favorite 'person' consisted of mankind in general. He loved everyone. Not always fun.

 

[Galathiel]

I would have to say that I am my dog's person of choice. He follows me everywhere, from room to room, even to the bathroom, leaving my husband and son behind if they are still in the room I was in. He also hyperfocuses on me when I'm standing up, not even twitching an ear if my husband calls him repeatedly as he stares unblinkingly at me.

 

[itsjustmebre]

Both my dogs have favorite people...my dog Bailey obviously prefers my Mom...and I'm not quite sure why...she doesn't feed him or take him on walks or play with him...I do all that. He's deffinetly attached to me too though, cuz if I leave for a few days he follows me around for the next week, and gets worried when I leave that I won't be coming back for awhile One of my favorite things about going to camp for a week is coming back and having Bailey follow me everywhere(including sitting waiting outside the bathroom door) for the next month

I think I'm Bella's favorite, because I'm the one who plays with her and feeds her and walks her...if someone else took over, I'm not so sure she'd be as bonded to me. She loves everyone, for sure...she also seems to adore strangers, she won't listen to me at all if we're near them, she loves people as a whole

Also...my dogs freak out when my Dad gets home...pretty sure it's because he's their human salt lick

~IJMB

 

[hamandeggs]

I really don't think Biscuit has a favorite between me and my husband (the only people she lives with). Sometimes I think she favors him, but then she velcroes herself to me and I change my mind again. We split caring for her very evenly though, and we both train her and take her to obedience/agility classes together. Maybe if we had a bigger family or more dogs things would be different, but for now, I think she loves us equally. Lucky dog and lucky us.

 

[NozOnyCalAur]

I expect my 10 week old peke to eventually "listen" to me as I'm the one doing the training, but since we've only had her a few days, I can't say she's picked a favorite. In my youth, the family Chow Chow liked everyone and would go to whoever was available to give her attention or treats, but she was somewhat indifferent to my Mom who never had much interest in her. My Dad did the training so when he spoke, her attention was focused on him.

 

[Laurelin]

Summer loves everybody. Anybody new or any kid she will gravitate to. If I'm around she will still be in their laps but if I leave, she'll usually come with me or when she realizes I'm gone start looking for me.

Mia is one of those dogs that is unequivocally mine in every way. She follows me all the time and lets me hug and cuddle her and shows much more affection towards me than other people. She won't let very many other people do that. She also doesn't listen to other people very well. She tends to keep her eyes on me all the time and be asking, 'Do you see what she's doing? Am I supposed to listen to her?'

 

[kadylady]

Luke has an obvious favorite...me. He is 100% my dog through and through. I know he loves my husband, but I'm his favorite and I think it's more than the fact that I take care of them 95% of the time. He is happier to see me after I've been gone, when someone else gives him a command he looks at me for verification, when I get up in the morning he acts likes its been days since he's seen me, he has a tendancy to be clingy to me, and will just sit and stare at me with those big puppy eyes and smile that melts my heart. Outside of our immediate family (me and hubs) I would say his favorite person is my step-father-in-law. That is the one person that upon seeing Luke will immediately forget all of his manners due to uncontrollable happiness, and jump up and lick his face, his entire body wagging in happiness. lol And Luke is not a jumper at all, he won't jump on anyone like that, even my husband who encourages it.

Zoey on the other hand, I don't think has a favorite yet. She looks to me for things because I am the provider of those things. She hangs out with me more when we are home because that's the routine. But I don't think she has favorites, she is much to "need focused" for that lol As in, I need food, I need to go out, I need to play, I need to sleep on the couch, who will give that to me, ok you, good lets do it. She's way more independant than Luke.

 

[deege39]

I'd like to think Donatello and I have a bond that could never be broken, regardless of who comes into the picture. Since the day I've rescued him we've been inseparable.

A year ago I started dating my SO. It took a few months for Donatello to do anything but just wag his tail when he walked in the door, but now, I know that dog would walk through fire for that man... He gets just as excited to see him as he does me. I can ask him, "Where's daddy?" and he'll immediately run to the sliding glass door, and watch, waiting to see if he sees him walk by. It's so warming to my heart... My SO seems to think that Donatello has become his dog, but I just let him think that. lol It makes me proud to share Donatello's bond...

Miggy on the other-hand... I think he'll always be more partial to me. We've only had him about a month now, and he listens to and minds to my SO, but he doesn't go out of his way to sit with and cuddle with him.