Who they socialize with early is a big factor
For dogs, their key socialization period is from birth to six months. Puppy brains are very receptive at this age, so the social experiences they have as puppies influence them for the rest of their lives. It’s important for puppies to have a wide variety of positive interactions with a wide variety of people, places, and things.
If, for example, you adopted your dog at an older age and they were raised by a single female for the first six months of their lives, they may be much more comfortable around women and may have a difficult time bonding with men since they weren’t introduced to them at a young enough age. That could influence who they bond with as an adult.
It’s never too late to start socializing your dog. The more experiences they have and the more people they meet, the easier it should be for them to warm up to others in the future.
Dogs choose their favorite person based on positive associations.
When you give your dog a command, and she obeys, you may reward her with a treat. That’s an example of positive association. Dogs choose their favorite person based on the one who gives them love, shelter, and comfort and provides them with positive dog-human relationships.
The person that always gives a tasty dog treats, plays with him, and gives him the love and attention he needs will most likely win the dog’s heart. Any positive experience dogs have, they associate with the person who gives it to them. Focus on positive training and reinforcement if you want to be your dog’s favorite person. Dogs respond to your positivity by bonding more with you.
No matter what kind of dog you have, socialization is a huge part of their upbringing. And it also has a lot to do with how they choose their favorite humans. Dogs do a lot of learning between the time they’re born up until they’re around six months old. This is the time when their brains are especially receptive to new experiences. What they experience during this time frame can end up seriously impacting their entire lives. Behaviorist believe that this prime time for socialization can play a role in whom a dog connects with later in life. If a three-month-old puppy has a negative experience with a man, for example, it’ll be hard for them to bond with that man, or anyone who reminds them of that man, later in life. It’s the same the other way around. If a puppy has an amazing experience with someone during that tender age range, that feeling will stick with them and affect who they bond with later.
This is an easy one. Dogs tend to bond with the people they spend the most time with. It’s the same way for humans. The more time we spend with someone, the more comfortable with them we’ll be. To take this a step further, dogs especially make connections when the people they spend time with give them lots of love and attention. That could relate to the person that’s home the most, or it could be the person most likely to snuggle with the dog on the couch Two months after we adopted Copper, my husband went on a five-month-long work trip. I work from home, so it was literally me and Copper together 24/7 with no one else around. He was a crazy beast back then, and I was the one that ran with him twice a day, trained him multiple times a day, and filled his food bowl. By the time my husband came back, he really didn’t have a chance. I was Copper’s whole world. Another thing to mention here is that it isn’t just about how much time a person spends with a dog. It’s also about the quality of that time. You can sit at home with your dog all day but never pay attention to them. But if you engage in one-on-one playtime and spend time cuddling your dog with no phone, TV, or other distractions, trust me, your dog will know the difference.
This somewhat reverts back to what we talked about above, but it’s worth repeating. All dogs are furry bundles of unconditional love. They’re capable of being our absolute best friends, but that bond is harder to achieve with some dogs than with others. Sometimes it’s the characteristics of a dog’s breed that can hold them back from forming a super strong bond, and other times it’s a facet of their personality. But even if your dog isn’t the Velcro type that lives and breathes for human attention, they can still have a favorite person. They might not make it as obvious as Copper does, but they can still feel more comfortable with one person over everyone else. The real key when it comes to how dogs choose their favorite humans has to do with the kind of effort the human is willing to put in. If you consistently show your dog that you love them in their own language, there’s a good chance they’ll eventually respond. They really do take note of which humans are always willing to grab the other end of a tug toy and which humans would rather hold their phones than offer up an ear scratch. If you are your dog’s favorite person, yay for you!! It really is the best. But even if you’re not, bonding with a dog never happens over night. It took Copper months to work up his feelings for me. Keep giving your dog your unyielding love and attention (while respecting their feelings and space), and see what happens. You just might end up being their favorite person ever.
There are few things better than when your dog walks into a room full of people and heads straight for your lap. It’s like those other people don’t even exist, and your dog only has eyes for you. Your bond is so strong that you know without a doubt that you are your dog’s favorite human. This kind of strong bond doesn’t happen with every dog you meet, or even every dog you live with. But when a dog picks you, it’s an incredible feeling.
In my house, my dog Copper has always made it clear that I’m his person. Sure, he loves my husband. But he LOVES me with a capital L. If Copper and my husband are cuddling on the couch and I sit down, Copper will get up, leave my husband, and situate his 65 pounds in my lap. When my husband and I walk in the house after being gone for a few hours, Copper will run right past him to get to me. Copper’s unfailing affection toward me is thanks to a couple things. And if your dog has chosen you as their favorite–or even if they’ve chosen someone else–you’ll relate to these key factors that go into how a dog picks their person.
How Dogs Choose Their Favorite Person
Every time when a new four legged family member joins the hearty human pack, it is welcomed and cherished by all. But in due course the dog begins to develop a special connection with only one person often seen as its leader, giver and caretaker and the selection process may depend on more than just instinctual pack animal behavior and alpha syndrome. Unlike Humans, Dogs are indiscreet in declaring their allegiance to one person in family.
The pet dog may love all family members but is relentlessly fonder of only one of them. The canine naturally feels attracted to this individual; in some cases said person may not singularly cater to the needs of the pet. Still the dog feels an instinctive affinity to his chosen master; it feels relaxed, secure and needless to say playful around him/her. It’s True master
Although dogs may develop more fondness for one particular member versus the rest of its human family, in-spite of the fact that the chosen individual wasn’t solely catering to the pet. The dog will show some clear signs to convey its special affection towards the chosen one. Sleeping beside the respective person is one evident signal, wanting to play the most with this particular family member, yearning for his/her attention in the form of a loving touch and being most happy or comfortable in his/her company are some of the other indicators.
If you are the object of your dog’s natural affinity and affection, then the only wise thing to do would be to reciprocate by accepting the complete responsibility of looking after the animal and eventually work towards creating a beautiful bond. : www.theodysseyonline.com
It is also important to shatter the myth that only puppies can bond well. Pure and perfect companionship can be formed between dogs and humans irrespective of the canine’s age and type. For instance a dog rescued & adopted or brought from an animal shelter can foster an instant attachment with the owner, if it feels loved and wanted. Providing a safe & supportive environment to the dog instills respect for the nurturer. The owner’s genuine love will win him/her immense loyalty and reverence from the canine. The dog isn’t a toy that you would play with only when you want to; the emphasis is on paying attention to the dog especially when it looks out for you.
Some obvious emotions/body languages a canine will display in front of its master are dropped-down ears, rolling over & lay on its back with legs up, nudging with its nose, or wagging its tail.
Rome wasn’t built in one day! Similarly an everlasting and beautiful bond between you and your dog will build up in due course of time and require you to top up the relation with proper communication, love and respect towards the beloved pet.
The blog editor of Pets World is a pet aficionado and fervently follows her pet-obsession. A pet parent to animals big and small for the past two decades. The sum of all experiences gathered is an amalgamation of useful knowledge and research.