I don't think my Laddie really likes me

Thanks Ann and Caro,

I will try your advice, I do try to ignore him, and he ignores me as well, so, maybe it just takes time. He definitely wants Steve with him. You are also right, Steve is not around him as much, although almost as much as he works at home, but he does not always call Laddie to be next to him, I guess he likes that. Anyway, I shall give things a try. What will be will be.
 
my boy is like this as well. not really shy, but prefers my fiance. I chalk it up to I'm the one that trains him versus play time. I play with him, but nothing like my fiance does. My fiance is also off during the summer where I have to work longer hours, so he spends more time with my fiance than me currently.
 
Everyone's advice to "give it time" seems like a good idea. My first girl, acquired at age 7, did not like me. I thought "great, I waited years to get a dog, and now I have a dog who hates me. This is not how it's supposed to work." I even considered giving her back to her breeder, on the theory that I did not want to make her live with me if she was unhappy. She adjusted, and is now my happy and clingy little shadow.
 
PatC said:
Everyone's advice to "give it time" seems like a good idea. My first girl, acquired at age 7, did not like me. I thought "great, I waited years to get a dog, and now I have a dog who hates me. This is not how it's supposed to work." I even considered giving her back to her breeder, on the theory that I did not want to make her live with me if she was unhappy. She adjusted, and is now my happy and clingy little shadow.
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Those are exactly the thoughts I have had, I mean, he likes me less, it seems, by the day, and he was bought to help me with my depression and loneliness. I still wonder if I should return him, but, she would probably not take him back as I had him neutered a few weeks back.

Oh well, time will tell.
 
Laddie's Mom said:
Those are exactly the thoughts I have had, I mean, he likes me less, it seems, by the day, and he was bought to help me with my depression and loneliness. I still wonder if I should return him, but, she would probably not take him back as I had him neutered a few weeks back.

Oh well, time will tell.
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A responsible breeder will take back their puppies regardless if altered or not. They will either keep it or find it a new home. So don't let that be the reason you pick a shelter over breeder.
 
I went through those same thoughts with Tully. Deska had been such a breeze as a pup but Tully was very difficult and I had already spoken to the breeder about sending her back. At the time I had major injuries after a serious assault and was still in a fragile state when I got Tully so I understand how challenging it can be.

But let me say I count my blessings that I kept her. She turned out to be such a sweetheart, a really beautifully natured, well mannered dog. And go figure, Deska turned into the ratbag! I wonder if all the extra effort I put into Tully as a pup really paid off. I think the big turning point was when I learnt to talk to Tully and understood her better. It was definitely worth those months of pulling my hair out to end up with such a beautiful dog.

Connecting with other people with dogs really, really helps. Find out if their is an oval near you where people congregate, or particular times when people are most likely out walking their dogs. You'll find many people with friendly dogs will want to chat about dogs and puppies with you. And going to classes at your local dog club will make a difference, esp if you stay involved.
 
I went through this with my dog as well. When I got her, I was unemployed, bored and lonely... so I thought it was the perfect time to get a puppy.

My puppy was very smart, but hot-headed and very hyper. She would not relax for a second. I would have to force her into her crate to take a nap or she would be on the go all day. Plus, she had urinary and bowel issues on top of that, which I spent so much time and $$$ to get her healthy.

Despite this, I felt like she didn't even like me. I was doing so much for this puppy and she didn't even love me back. She wouldn't lay near me. She'd stay in the same room as me, but on the other side. Showed no affection. All I was to her was a play toy and food dispenser. As she hit her teenage years, her behavior was terrible. She was a very stressful puppy and some days still is. There were many days where I considered returning her to the breeder.

A little after she turned a year old, she started to calm down a bit and show more affection. She is 4 years old now and I am the center of her universe. She still won't sit or lay near me, but she does shower me with kisses and gets extremely excited when I come home. But she will never be that sheltie who picks up on my emotions. One time I was insanely sick, throwing up and she brought me her ball to play fetch and ran around the house with all my flip flops.
 
take4roll10 said:
Despite this, I felt like she didn't even like me. I was doing so much for this puppy and she didn't even love me back. She wouldn't lay near me. She'd stay in the same room as me, but on the other side. Showed no affection. All I was to her was a play toy and food dispenser. As she hit her teenage years, her behavior was terrible. She was a very stressful puppy and some days still is. There were many days where I considered returning her to the breeder.

A little after she turned a year old, she started to calm down a bit and show more affection. She is 4 years old now and I am the center of her universe. She still won't sit or lay near me, but she does shower me with kisses and gets extremely excited when I come home. But she will never be that sheltie who picks up on my emotions. One time I was insanely sick, throwing up and she brought me her ball to play fetch and ran around the house with all my flip flops.
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Honey doesn't lay on me either, and if I move by her she moves away. Dispite this I know she loves me to peices. I've kind of attributed it to the fact that I'm the authority and she's showing me a measure of respect, because although she's not much cuddlier with my husband there are times when she'll curl up beside him on the bed. For me it's always at the feet.

She is very intuative about when I'm not feeling well. First time I got majorly sick with her it actually funny how quickly she switched and started deferring to my husbands commands (at the time she was about seven months old and felt entirely comfortable not paying any attention to his commands most days).

Now if I'm sick she devises games where I can stay still while we play. Like me putting the ball under the couch in various places so she can try to get it out.
 
Laddie's Mom said:
Those are exactly the thoughts I have had, I mean, he likes me less, it seems, by the day, and he was bought to help me with my depression and loneliness. I still wonder if I should return him, but, she would probably not take him back as I had him neutered a few weeks back.

Oh well, time will tell.
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I'm really sorry you're having such a rough time. I remember how I felt when Jada sat on the opposite side of the living room, giving me dirty looks. I hadn't known dogs could do that. :( But she smiles all the time now, and is basically glued to me...unless I annoy her, in which case she huffs off to another room.

I bet Laddie is picking up on your tension and disappointment. If you can keep it light and casual around him, it might help.
 
Someone said to sit on the floor and this is so true. Few puppies can resist a humane mountain to climb on and lick. I would lay on the floor to do my workouts when Sally was a puppy and she would jump all over me and lick my face and eat my hair....so maybe try stretching out on the floor and read a book and don't pay any attention to Laddie and see what happens. Having a treat tucked here and there in your pockets wouldn't be a bad idea.
 
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