It’s Ok If Your Dog Only Loves You

Relationship building is no easy task. In any relationship, particularly a new one, there is a lot of ‘trial and error’ in the getting to know you process. But at some point, if you have been consistent and patient with the process, and both parties are genuinely interested in one another, you hit a break through. From there on out, you can’t imagine life without that individual by your side.

Now, replace the word ‘individual’ with ‘dog’—same process, different being. We spend countless hours and sometimes dollars on learning how to bond with our dog in the best way possible. But at the end of the day, it was a labor of love and one we would do all over again! So, with that being said, why is it that we expect our dog—more often than not— to be as interested and invested in other people, as they are with us? Are we expected to have an instant connection with every person that crosses our path? And for the people in our lives that we love, but have not done the work with our dog that we have, why do we immediately assume that our dog will love that person based on the sole fact that we love that person?

For a dog to live in the human world, they do need to learn how to coexist with people. That much is certain. If this is something your dog struggles with, hiring a quality trainer will be one of the best investments you’ll ever make. But, ask yourself this: is your dog uncomfortable around people because you are constantly forcing them into a social engagement that they do not want or are not ready for? And if you stopped this one practice, would your dog become naturally more accepting of people? Building a relationship with a human fosters trust in the dog. Some dogs have more of a desire than others to expand their social circle, and that is a lovely thing. Many dogs are just interested in their people, and that is normal. When you put unrealistic expectations on your dog, it hurts the relationship that you have worked so hard in building with them. It’s OK if you’re dog loves just you. After all, isn’t that how it should be?