#8: They’re shy
I know what you’re thinking. It’s a strange excuse to make for such a social creature.
Dogs’ temperaments don’t follow a single mould, though. According to PetMD, some dogs’ personalities don’t fit their breed.
But these variations and distinctions are what make them even more special. And this can include a little shyness.
Okay. This can include varying degrees of shyness. And some cases can be a lot worse than others.
You may be unfortunate to have a pup in the “a lot worse than others” category.
“Then why aren’t they shy around my wife?”
I’ve already floated some possible factors as to why dogs are more comfortable with women. But more than that, they may have imprinted on your wife.
Notable ethologist Konrad Lorenz explains imprinting. It’s what happens when a puppy comes to recognize a human as “a parent or other object of trust.”
This imprinting period happens between 3 to 12 weeks old. That’s likely around the time you opened your home to your pup.
Your wife is already the vessel of that comforting estrogen. But aside from that, she may have been the first to receive your little furball.
Being the shy and timid fluff that they are, they’ve clung to her since. It’s understandable.
Even shy humans have that one person they’re comfortable with. And they seldom – if ever – open themselves to another.
But don’t give up hope just yet. You can still be the fur dad they run to for cuddles or a game of fetch.
I’ll get to that in a bit. But before the hopeful part, let’s tackle this distressing one…
Are dogs afraid of men more than women?
Let’s start by asking all the right questions.
Has your dog exhibited a sudden and unexplained fear for other new people before? Is it possible that he may not have been properly socialized as a puppy? Is it possible that your dog is afraid of men and not just your boyfriend in particular?
There’s a lot of talk circulating around the dog loving community of pet parents noticing that their dogs seem to be afraid of men. It happens more with men who are strangers but it’s also quite common with men that the dog is already familiar with. Does this mean that dogs are more afraid of men than women?
The truth is, there’s no scientific answer to that question. However, there are some articles that suggest that since dogs are raised mostly by their mothers than their fathers, they may relate the smell of women as safe and comforting while the smell of men may just register as strange or foreign. Women also tend to approach dogs in a nurturing, comforting, and non-threatening way while men tend to approach dogs in a playful and assertive way that can be misconstrued as aggression.
These are all possibilities but aren’t exactly cold hard facts. All that we can do is observe your dog’s behavior. Try to notice if he acts strangely around just your boyfriend or with your other male friends as well.
#7: They’re not getting accustomed to you
Maybe you’re not around much of the time. It’s not that you don’t want to be. If you looked up this article, then you obviously long for a bond with your dog.
But duty calls. Someone’s got to make money for those treats and toys.
FaceTime during lunch breaks might suffice for your wife. But for a species who primarily views the world through their nose, it just won’t do.
Your absence could really hurt the way your dog perceives you.
To them, you’re not dad. You’re just that strange man who comes to stay in their home when the sun goes down. Then leaves a little after it rises again.
So until Apple rolls out some serious upgrades that cater to the sense of smell, you’ll need to be there for your dog in the flesh.
Okay. You can step off the examination table now. We’ll take a look at the more internal issues your dog has.
Don’t miss out on: 9 Reasons Why Your Dog Cuddles With You & NOT Your Husband
For instance, this particular problem could be worse if…
Fearful Dog scared of your husband, partner, or visitors?
Sometimes it’s inexplicable, when your happy, friendly, and socialized dog suddenly starts acting afraid around other people.
This can be a tricky problem because it’s safe to say that your boyfriend will probably be around a lot at your house, but you can’t let your dog be in a constant state of being afraid.
Let’s begin to resolve the problem by trying to understand where your dog’s fear is coming from.