[Melgogs]

What you love about your dogs and what you dislike about them

So I thought this could be a fun thing to do. List the things you love about your dogs and the things you aren't so crazy about. I'll start:

Coco the chihuahua

What I love:

- She's very quirky and weird, keeps me guessing all the time
- Very cheerful and full of joy, brightens everything up
- She bounced back from her reactive period pretty fast and now she's back to being as sociable and friendly as she was as a puppy.
- She's pretty inventive, she almost always finds ways to climb hard to reach places.
- A little trouble maker, she keeps me on my toes and there's never a dull moment with her.

What I dislike a bit:

- She's sometimes hyper at the wrong time, like when I have a migraine and I'm laying down with a wet towel over my eyes.
- She likes all adults but absolutely HATES children for some reason. She cannot stand them and she will immediatly lower her head and tense up at the sight of them.
- She can be a little bit annoying sometimes.
- She never shows when she's in pain, so it's hard to know if she needs to go to the vet unless there's other symptoms.

Pearl the lab mix

What I love:

- She is all around a very good dog: calm, obedient, affecionate and smart.
- She has the patience of a saint. She can put up with Coco very annoyingly demanding she play with her without even batting her eyes at her.
- She was never interested in treats or other things in training, all she wanted was praise and affection.
- Though she is very cold with most other dogs, she is very affectionate and gentle with puppies. She was an excellent "surrogate mom" to Coco and she still treats her very kindly.
- She comes from a horrible past and she's been through a lot but she still turned out to be a wonderful girl.

What I dislike a bit:

- She's a bit too predictable, she never makes me wonder or anything, which is good I guess but I do enjoy a little mischief.
- She still barks at random sounds and people at the door, which is a bit annoying.
- She has no interest in other dogs that aren't Coco or puppies. She's not at all interested in making friends with any strange dogs at all.

 

[FaithFurMom09]

Faith:
Love everything. I cant think of anything i dont love.

Hope:
I love how shes really laid back and sounds like chewie from Star Wars rather than barking. I dislike how shes a typical lab and will eat you out of house and home.

Elvin:
I love how cuddly he is. I dislike how he will eat anything in sight, even dead things on the sidewalk.

Opie:
I love how unique he is. i dislike how he barks and whines and wont be quiet and how he hates Elvin for no reason.

Charlie:
I love everything about her, especially how she sounds like a piggy.

cats:
I dont really like anything about them.

 

[KodiBarracuda]

Maisy

What I love:
Cuddly/adorable toward me and my boyfriend and my mom when I take it to her house.
Smart
Energetic
Good off switch
Biddable
Well-behaved
I really do love her, she is great and I have very few complaints. I wouldn't give her up for anything

What I wish were different:
Human selective, doesn't like men (other than my boyfriend.)
Bites (or tries to bite) the back of my dad's legs when he puts boots on, is wearing a hat, has on sun glasses, hugs me or my mom, gets up from a chair or sits down in a chair, or walks in the door. Only a problem when I visit my parents.
Her human selectivity is really my biggest problem with her. I don't want her to be 'friendly' to everyone but I'd be totally fine with complete and utter disinterest.
Everything else that is negative about her is pretty minor:
She counter surfs if there are cupcakes on the counter.
Reactive towards dogs barking at her on walks.
De-stuffs toys.

 

[fourdogs]

Oh gosh where to start. I guess oldest to youngest!

Darby, Bichon, 13

Love:
Sweet, adorable, always happy and cheerful, loves everyone, quiet and calm.
Dislike:
Pees on anything remotely absorbent. She's the reason there are no rugs anywhere and she is gated off from the carpeted upstairs.

Cookie, 8, Chihuahua
Love: Sweet, loving, really FREAKING adorable, mostly quiet, though when she does bark it's not that loud.
Dislike: Pees on anything remotely absorbent also! She's been checked for UTIs and is clear, but I can take her out to pee/poop every hour, and she will, but she still pees inside! We have, within the last 2 weeks, made the switch to diapering her, which she tolerates very well! It's our compromise, as the tile grout was getting ruined. She would pee, and then the other 3 dogs would have to pee over that, resulting in pee stained/very disgusting odor. Since I diapered Cookie (and she uses it about once a day now, even with hourly walks) the other dogs have stopped peeing indoors, and I've deep cleaned the tile/grout. NO more pee smell! The peeing is the worst thing about her! Also her TINY size, at 3.5 pounds, makes it a hazard to have her around. I'm always afraid she's going to get smooshed, and she is unable to get up/down on furniture or down the back stairs to the yard.

Echo, 5, PWD
Love: Loves to train, although gets bored, very pretty and loves everyone, mostly quiet
Dislike. SHEDS!!! She has the improper short coat and it sheds year round. Counter surfing! she steals food with steal in only mere moments!
Gets way too silly when we pet her. She will start to bounce and wag and bounce which then turns into pawing/scratching and muzzle punching. I'd love to be able to pet her more if she didn't go into "stupid happy" mode! Also selective hearing. She is TRAINED very well, she has her CD and RN. But when it comes to coming when called in an average setting, she gets to me in her own time. Very annoying.

Jack, 2, poodle
Likes: Very pretty, I love to do his hair! Loves me so much, is the extreme cuddle!

Dislikes: Picky eater, Very nervous and barky/growly around new people, and then remains "paranoid" even hours after the strange people have left. The nervous/anxiety thing has been very draining, although he is much improved.

Poppy, 4, cat
Likes: He's soft, he always uses his litter box.
Dislikes: He won't let me pet him. Does not want any human affection, although he will hang out nearby once in a while. Wont sit in my lap, won't head bump or purr with me or snuggle or anything remotely cat like. <sigh> It's like I don't even have a cat. He glares at me, does angry swishy tail. Yes, we love our kitty.

Ruby, 3 Netherland Dwarf Rabbit
Likes: So cute and soft! Litter box trained
Dislikes: Rabbit pee stinks. Lots of cleaning when she is indoors (she is outdoors in the screened porch in nice weather, indoors in winter).
She molts about 3 times a year. Hair blizzard!! She can also be mean when she's molting. Otherwise easy to handle and sweet.

Gail and Luna, 2, Gerbils
Likes: Cute and fun to watch
Dislikes: Their pee stinks. They tend to want to pee on their hidey houses which then reeks of rodent pee. They also pile their bedding up in the corner where the water bottle is, draining the water and making a big, soupy, bedding-gerbil pee/poop-old food soup. Good times!

Olive and Mercedes, 4 months, bantam chickens
Likes: Teeny tiny chickens!! Teeny tiny poops!! They are in a tractor by themselves so very little cleaning
Dislikes: Olive is mean! I've tried to integrate a couple other hens in there with them and she, as tiny as she is, will tear them apart!

Ford, Chevy, Mina and Ester, 3 months, various large fowl chickens
Likes: Chickens!! They will lay eggs in a couple months
Dislikes. Chikens can POOP!! They require much poop scooping in their roost. They are in a 4 season chicken tractor, so it's a tractor/coop combo. I move the tractor every other day and same for cleaning out the roost area. Poop!! LOL

That's my crew for now. One day I'll have 2 dogs and a cat that love me, and then just chickens outdoors.

 

[kcomstoc]

Re: What you love about your dogs and what you dislike about them

Well if we're doing all of our animals I'll start with youngest who is

Firefly *Ball Python* (1 year 2 months):
Positives-he is so pretty to look at, I mean stunning
Negatives-his pee is the worst smelling of all the animals and he is the only one that pees on me, then I gotta take a shower *it's usually after I JUST took a shower*

Caleb *Rabbit* (3 years):
Positives-He is so sweet, he comes up for pets and tooth purrs, he is my SO's soul bunny, he's adventurous and not scared of anything, He ALWAYS goes in the litterbox
Negatives-He loves to dig and rip things he's not supposed to *but I guess that's all bunnies lol*

Gamgee *Rabbit* (3 years):
Positives-He loves Caleb, he's pretty, he's starting to warm up to us finally
Negatives-He doesn't like getting pets, he likes to pee outside of the litterbox *I mean literally right outside of it*, he's stubborn

Ryuk *Rabbit* (about 5 months):
Positives-Don't know yet
Negatives-Don't know yet

Jake *Dog* (9 years old):
Positives-He's so furry and soft, he likes to cuddle with me and my boyfriend, he NEVER bites, loves children *helpful because he's so cute that often children want to pet him*, he's small
Negatives-He's small, he's stubborn, doesn't really like to listen, he tries to get out of the house to run free

 

[sclevenger]

Re: What you love about your dogs and what you dislike about them

I no longer have a dog, but I want to join in so I'll use my last dog: Royce.

Love:
Super velcro, gave me a god complex, seriously.
Best off leash reliability I've ever seen, I called him off a running deer once with just a... "Royce"
Protective, especially of my daughter.
Always happy, just happy, bouncy, the world is so amazing.
His bug eating habit, cracked me up.
Personality, I can't explain it, this dog was booming with it.
His love of water, he would go out of his way just to walk through a small puddle. Lol.
Not afraid to use his body, if I told him to put 2 feet on a tree and his other feet on a rock he would.

Hate:
He excited/frustrated barked at people if we were on leash and stopped. If we kept walking he was fine, but if we were stopped somewhere he would bark his fool head off.
The hair.... he's been gone over a year, I pulled it out of my new car, that he has never been in.
Allergies to everything - grain, chicken, wheat, duck - he could eat grain free fish formulas only.
Accident prone - he was on pain killers like 3x in 2 years for strange accidents, fell off the couch, fell off my car, ran and slid into the corner of the house, busted a blood vessel in his eye for turning to sharp and hitting the hallway wall.
His strange obsession with horses. He'd Starr doing circles and panting heavily when we passed them.... but only the ones pulling buggies.
Plays way to rough with other dogs, it's like he has no brain, just run and pounce everyday on the head was his motto.

But for all his aggravation, I was, and still to this day, head over heels in love with that dog.

 

[cookieface]

Re: What you love about your dogs and what you dislike about them

Katie
love: She has great house manners and is happy chilling if we're not doing anything together.
dislike: This is sort of a love/hate thing: I love her enthusiasm, but don't like that I don't have the skills to channel it into something more fun for both of us. There are times I wish she would just calm down, just a little.

Tyson
love: He's a sweetie; he looks at me with his big, amber eyes and I melt. He's smart and so much fun to shape because he's really into trying everything he can to get the treat.
dislike: His nervousness and fear; he would do well with some of Katie's confidence. He likes to explore, usually places he shouldn't, and needs more supervision which can be tiring.

 

[jade5280]

Re: What you love about your dogs and what you dislike about them

Ryker

Like: Cuddly, intelligent, funny, playful, energetic but settles well
Dislike: SA, resource guarding (has gotten better though), difficulty trimming nails, bathing, and ear cleaning

Gypsy

Like: Super sweet, sensitive, cuddly
Dislike: very dog reactive, extremely high prey drive, whiney

Panzer

Like: biddable, intelligent, likes to be near/on me
Dislike: He's still a baby so there's not much I don't like about him at this point...pees a lot?

 

[ireth0]

Re: What you love about your dogs and what you dislike about them

Like: Being serious I love everything about this dog. Not even kidding, she is basically perfect for me. If I had to get into specific things; I love her confidence, I love how social and outgoing she is (it helps me be more social), I love her overall physical look, For me she hits the sweet spot in energy level, I love that she's cuddly, I love that she never lets me down trying new things.

Dislike: I dislike that I can't just explain to her about certain things (like the cats). I mean... really that's kind of it. I could get nit picky about not trying to eat the cat food... being more physically aware and not knocking drinks over and/or pushing furniture around... if she didn't shed that'd be super convenient... but really those are minor annoyances and mostly just 'dog' things.

I'm not trying to say she's the perfect dog. I know a lot of things about her that I love would suck for other people, and she's definitely not perfectly behaved 24/7, but she's perfect for -me-.

 

[elrohwen]

Re: What you love about your dogs and what you dislike about them

Watson
Love:
He is the sweetest momma's boy on the planet. He is always by my side. He's my baby and my heart
He tries so hard.
He's not really a barker.
He is so calm and good around the house and is happy to hang out whenever.

Dislike:
He gets super aroused and overstimulated outside or in exciting environments and it can be hard to deal with. It's not always easy to focus and settle him.
This goes with the item above, but he lacks emotional control and impulse control.
He screams when left alone. He's much better than he was, and doesn't bark when left home in the house, but it's still an issue in some situations.
I wish he was better off leash.

Hazel
Love:
She is always silly and happy and upbeat. Her default facial expression is a dopey smile.
She is so focused and so engaged all the time. She wants to work with me and is up for anything no matter how exciting or distracting the environment.
She is always appropriate. She can be calm and mellow when required, or up and high energy.
So good off leash (still crossing my fingers this doesn't change in the next few months)

Dislike:
She is not a cuddler. Sometimes she cuddles with my husband when she's tired, but usually she lies down across the room or even in the other room. Mostly she's too busy to cuddle anyway.
She gets into everything around the house and is way too interested in the bunnies, but that's puppy stuff she'll outgrow.

 

[LuvMyAngels]

Re: What you love about your dogs and what you dislike about them

Buster, 6 1/2 year old Saint Bernard

Likes: Friendly, tolerant, lives for human contact, mostly silent (if/when he barks there's a very obvious reason behind it). Pretty much perfect for our life/family. Fit in like he's "one of the kids" since almost the first day home.


Dislikes: allergies (obviously not his fault), stupidly friendly (its a blessing and a curse...), stubborn (though not outright defiant...he doesnt blow me off, but he's going to put his own spin on everything), increasing dog-reactive since neutering (he's snarly & lunges now where he was just barky before).

 

[LittleFr0g]

Re: What you love about your dogs and what you dislike about them

Kuma - 8 1/2 year old Pug

Likes: I love how social he is, he just loves the world and expects the world to love him right back. I love how affectionate he is, how he wants to be next to me, touching me all the time, I love his silly, goofy, clownish personality, his intelligence, his spunky attitude, I even love the way he snores, lol. He's just got this amazing connection with me, and when I'm down or struggling with an anxiety attack, he always seems to know exactly how to best cheer me up, whether I need a cuddle and kisses on the chin, or to have him make a silly fool of himself and make me laugh my head off. I just adore him.

Dislikes: Honestly, there's only two things I don't like about Kuma. His insane shedding, and his leash reactivity, but that last one is my fault, honestly. I socialized him at dog parks as a pup, and while he has lovely dog manners, he grew up convinced that he absolutely MUST greet and play with every single dog he sees, and when he can't, he will often throw a huge fit, and actually comes off looking aggressive, when it's actually the exact opposite. I've been working on it with him, but it's tough, because I've yet to be able to find a pattern as to when he reacts. Sometimes he can walk right by a dog on the sidewalk just fine, the next time he flipping out because he can't get to a dog across the street, or down the block.

Still, the two things that I dislike are so minor compared to all the amazing things I love about him, and it's 100% worth it to have him in my life.

 

[kdawnk]

Re: What you love about your dogs and what you dislike about them

Sansa
Love:
Her cuddles. Literally the best cuddling dog in the world. She sleeps off and on in my bed at night and she is the perfect little spoon... God I'm single.
Her zoomies are absolutely hilarious every time
She sings when I come home
She sings when I cry
She's good with most other dogs
She's good with non-strange cats/properly introduced cats
She can be off leash and stays close to me
She barks like maybe 3 times when someone comes over. One test-bark, one bay-howl, one chuff.

Dislike:
She is incapable of eating just any ol' food
She's usually fairly sickly - loses hair, strains to poop, or diarrhea (to do with her digestive problems)
She jumps up on guests if I'm not watching
She has about a 50/50 chance whether she's going to eat the house that month. She can go 6 months without getting into anything, than 2 where she gets into everything.
She's over the top soft and sensitive.
She lacks confidence no matter how much I cheerlead her through things
She has a lot more energy than I would comfortably enjoy

Flynn (cat)
Love:
He purrs incredibly loudly and kneads when super happy or sucking up to you
He's in love with Sans
He doesn't scratch the couch and appropriately uses his scratching post
He has very little food sensitivities
He comes when you call his name, or he comes when you shake his food dish. Guaranteed.
Sometimes when you're running around the house he'll pop out of no where and hug your leg. Comically dangerous. Has taken out a toddler.
He's cat friendly
He's a master hunter

Dislike:
When he's not indoor/outdoor because of winter he's a complete a$$****
He doesn't play. I can drag cat toys in front of him and he watches them like, "Amuse me, human" and doesn't join in
He meows in excess when he wants out/food even though we've always ignored him and don't feed him until he's quiet
He used to open up the cupboards in winter and still packets of seasoning to eat. He ate a full KD seasoning package and one other time got into Curry.

 

[Galathiel]

Re: What you love about your dogs and what you dislike about them

Varik - 2 year old GSD, 75/25 DDR/WGWL, solid black, 90 lbs

Like: Affable in public, but territorial over the car and home (hey my husband works out of town off and on .. nice to have Varik be "on"). Solid, stable temperament, doesn't mind pats but doesn't seek them when we're out, likes dogs in the abstract (we don't do play dates). Listening 150 % better than when he was younger pup. Extremely smart and has his goofy, silly moments.

Dislikes: Independent, not focused on me in public (but still will obey commands) which is very frustrating if I want to do classes with him, still wants to nose the cat although he gets told off every day by me AND the cat.

Sienna, 4 year old tortoiseshell Persian, 7 lbs

Like: So....floofy! I mean, hair flouncing around her when she trots. Sprints through the house, bounces, springs, does 180s, so entertaining. She likes to hang out in the room you're in and once Varik has settled down for the night, will usually sprawl out near him.

Dislike: Not cuddly. I got her when she had just turned a year old, and it took a whole year before she jumped into my lap. Now, she does come see me, usually every day and lie in my lap and purr for a little while. Progress! She is very leery of anyone coming in and will run hide behind my husband's computer desk until they leave.

Rai Li, 15 1/2 year old shih tzu - at this point there's not really a like and dislike. I hate that he has canine cognitive dysfunction now and is losing his house training, but he's earned the right to do whatever he wants. As long as he is not in pain and is eating and seems happy, he's fine by me.

 

[Laurelin]

Re: What you love about your dogs and what you dislike about them

Summer:

Like: She's sweet as can be. Loves everyone and is their BFF. Super friendly and outgoing. Oblivious to environmental things. Tries very hard. 'Honest' and very well behaved. Easily excitable and fun. Gentle. Sweet sweet sweet. Good off leash. Pretty much perfect.

Dislike: Age. She shouldn't be 11. Seizures. Bark bark bark bark bark. Wish she wouldn't growl at dogs while licking them for a greeting. Seems to confuse other dogs. Oh and she licks obsessively. She snores.

Mia:

Like: Mia. She's Mia. She's weird. Wildly intelligent and creative. I love how nutty she is about her tennis ball. She's SO SOFT fur. Perfect size to carry like a baby. She's a mama's girl and is very devoted. The most animated dog I've ever owned- she has the cutest and funniest mannerisms. Can't just wag her tail, must wiggle her whole body.

Dislike: Collapsed trachea and luxating patellas. Really just health. I don't like that she's quite sharp. She could be more confident and tolerant and overall less bitchy? lol I do wish she was less destructive in general and I could 'get away' with being more lax with things and her sometimes. She is very shy and very intolerant of strange people and dogs. Yappy. But really just wish she was healthy.

Hank:

Like: SPOTS. I like his spots. He's fun and nice to work with. He likes to do all sorts of things. He's friendly with people and with other dogs (!). He's cuddly and easygoing. Super fast learner. Athletic and likes to swim. He is the perfect size- sturdy yet portable.

Dislike: He can be weirdly stressy at times which confuses me because he's a really solid dog. That's the main thing. I wish he was off leash safe. Less biting me would also be swell. Bike chasing is another work in progress. I swear he regresses on walks the longer we walk. He has really really really bad gas. He also can make the worst noise I've ever heard a dog make. Sheds an unbelievable amount.

 

[petpeeve]

Re: What you love about your dogs and what you dislike about them

Just, in general ...

Likes: pretty much everything -- the endless love, the companionship and the entertainment they provide, the opportunities for learning and advancing, the unwavering loyalty, the peaceful and comforting feeling they give to me when it's needed most. The warm spot they create in my bed on cold nights. And yeah, the smell of puppy breath and popcorn feet, of course .

Dislikes: only one thing, really -- they pass on WAY too soon in my opinion, and it usually hurts. Me, that is. I wish they would live to 100.

 

[WTFCas]

Re: What you love about your dogs and what you dislike about them

J

Likes: The fact that if I want a travel buddy so I don't have to go places alone, she's really well-behaved in the car.

Dislikes: Her entire personality. We are not a good match in the personality department and I need a much harder, independent, aloof dog. Not a submissive, scared of her own shadow dog that is too scared of the knock at the door to bark at it.

 

[taquitos]

Re: What you love about your dogs and what you dislike about them

Meeko

Likes:
- His intelligence
- His sense of humor
- His larger than life personality
- His zest for life
- His streak of impishness
- How well he gets along with my household cats and all of my friend's dogs
- How he is with strangers -- he's friendly but he has a clear preference for myself and the fam.
- His devotion and loyalty to me. He may be 7 lbs but he does his best to protect his momma!
- How relatively quiet he is despite his breed(s)

Dislikes:
- Stubbornness. Sometimes he goes mysteriously deaf at times lol or will talk back when I ask him to do something.
- How timid he is in unusual situations (like when we first took agility)
- His RG-ing. It's mostly under control but he still guards against other animals.
- How he still can't hold it for very long -- I do not trust him to be home alone for 8-9 hours by himself
- How much he hates being brushed and how much he dislikes getting his nails trimmed
- How crazy he is about cats
- How he's not off leash reliable because of his prey drive

 

[Hiraeth]

Re: What you love about your dogs and what you dislike about them

Atlas
Love: He sleeps in front of my door to protect me at night, is totally trustworthy off leash and thinks ice cubes are great treats, which saves me money.
Hate: The shedding. OMG, the shedding. He kills anything that isn't a person or another dog. He only wants toys that the other dogs have and constantly tries to steal whatever another dog is playing with.

Shenzi (dad's dog)
Love: She's smart and really loves both my dad and I, is trusthworthy off leash and would absolutely intervene if someone was trying to hurt me.
Hate: The shedding. Her nails are long, black and ridiculously hard to keep trimmed.

Little Dog (dad's dog)
Love: He's cute and enjoys looking at things upside down, has the softest ears known to man and likes to lay in my lap (even though he's 90 lbs).
Hate: He doesn't like it when people lean over him and starts growling when we do, then can't seem to stop growling no matter how hard he tries.

The new puppy I'm getting on Friday
Love: Everything about him, because right now he's just a happy thought and he's busy peeing in someone else's house

 

[ForTheLoveOfDogs]

Re: What you love about your dogs and what you dislike about them

Kairi

Love: Almost everything. She is soo happy. She is the perfect balance of goofy and serious.. and loves making me laugh often. Her willingness to learn new things is incredible and she has a nub wiggling the whole time. Super food motivated and will also work for tug. She loves to lay on me and cuddle all the time. She is the most dog-friendly dog I have ever owned. Ignores people in public. She is not overly hard or soft, and is very forgiving. Her size is perfect for agility.. nice and light boned.. very athletic girl. She can chill or she GO. Her love of water. Her behavior for grooming is just fantastic. Her markings and face are soo pretty. She has some kind of un-explainable "soul" to her and is seriously just my absolute love. We just get each other.

Dislike: Biting my vacuum. Biting my blow dryer. Barking incessantly. Reactive to motorcycles, dogs running/being too hyper, squirrels and strangers coming in her house. Once she deems strangers okay.. she loves them too much and won't leave them alone with her Aussie body slamming. Allergies have been very stressful.. but obviously not her fault.

Ember

Love: Super people friendly - she doesn't know a stranger. Off leash reliable, at least as long as you have her frisbee. SOO much fun to play with because she is so intense! Toy motivated is super nice. She has a good off switch most of the time. Well behaved for grooming. Her weird Border Collie quirks are kind of neat. She is so sweet and cute when she is worried about you, or if she thinks she did something "bad" (or wants something). Quick and willing to learn. She is only very mildly reactive.

Dislike: She can be easily distracted if there is a lot going on.. or if the ground smells good but a lot of that is probably puppy. She is snarky and snappy with dogs she does not know. She is not trustworthy not to bite people (inhibited bite, not full out attack) if she is uncomfortable about being handled a certain way. Toys are more important than food.. so some things are difficult to teach. I'd like just a litttttle more food motivation.