Silly Mummy!

[willowstar]

Hi there!

This is gonna sound like such a stupid post! but it is worrying me a little.

We have had our pup Lily for only two weeks, but she has taken such a liking to my husband and not really bonded with me that well. She does what she is told for him and only cuddles him, her tail wags when he talks to her and not with me!

I know I'm such a baby, but i have been dying to get a little pup of our own and I was worried this was going to happen.

I have heard from people that if we got a bitch they do tend to lean towards men, is that true?

Hope you can shed some light on your experiences!

Thanks

[Hurtwood Dogs]

I thought my bitch preferred men... but as the months have passed, she's become very attached to me and does what I ask but tends to ignore most men  (She's not a cocker though so that might just be her breed rather than her gender coming through there!)

Give it time, I'm sure she'll be very fond of you puppies take a while to really develop their personalities and relationships too - bear that in mind 

Hannah x

[tiamaria]

I thought my bitch preferred men... but as the months have passed, she's become very attached to me and does what I ask but tends to ignore most men  (She's not a cocker though so that might just be her breed rather than her gender coming through there!)

Give it time, I'm sure she'll be very fond of you puppies take a while to really develop their personalities and relationships too - bear that in mind 

Hannah x

We have it the other way around, my partner said to me last night (while charley was sat on his knee and not letting me out of his sight) hes bonded with you more hasnt he? But i do spend most of the time with him. 

As for the gender thing, i dont know if boy dog suits the woman or not, because of all the dogs we have owned, the first male dog took to my partner, and our girl rosie was all for me!  I think its a lot like having children, they say girls are all for daddy and visa versa, but sometimes this isnt the case.   

[lisalh]

Sorry if I sound a little silly here but do you spend more time with her and do the majority of the 'work' caring for her? My Fred was like this for a couple of weeks after we got him as I was always there but Dad was only about in the evenings-just in time for the fun/food/walkies.
  Once I calmed down and stopped fretting about it I realsised I was getting constant attention and cuddles during the day and Dad was just more 'interesting' in the evenings as he hadnt been around all day.  Now we have settled into a routine the roles have switched and OH can often be heard to say 'bloody dog loves you more than me'- Fred does spend more time cuddling up with me but only because I am a complete sucker for the big cocker eyes and allow him to sit on the sofa with me, when we out on walks he def looks to his dad for guidance and gets terribly torn if we not all walking together, it took a while for his personaility to come through and now everyone gets the full effect of his affection (I have the split lip to prove it ).
I hope this helps and that you have as much fun and cocker cuddles with your Pup as we do with ours.

Lisa x

[Annette]

Buddy has bonded best with me, I think, because I have done most of his training and spend longer with him.

But there are some times of day when he is a "Daddy's boy" and some when he only looking for me. Then again other times when he just wants to be on his own.

Try not to stress about it, your pup will sense that and it may have the opposite effect to the one you want!

[LouiseAS]

I have a completely different relationship with our 3 to the one my OH has with them.

I do all the walking, most of the feeding, grooming and training so they tend to be different with me than how they are with him.  Meg prefers me to OH though and always has done.

They do pick up on stress I agree with Annette, I'm having thir problem with Jakey ATM and it's affecting our relationship.

I'm sure if you relax with Lily and just enjoy her everything will be fine.

[bibathediva]

I think my 2 have bonded with me more as they only follow me up and down the stairs on pointless journeys  or around the house/garden on other pointless journeys  never the OH...unless he has his coat on...bit of a clue for them there  ..although if they are misbehaving they do tend to do as they are told more easily with OH than me...must be the gruff voice.....takes me back to when my kids were little 
I did find that when Biba was a pup she did tend to like OH more than me ...i think she had got bored of me after 8 hours and was glad to see a different face   

[Nicola]

My three are all very bonded to me as it's just me and them and I do absolutely everything for them but Tilly does tend to like men, she's a real flirt and once she's got to know a man she'll be all over them like a rash. She and my friend Steve who's the bloke she would have seen the most until we moved have a total mutual appreciation society going on and now we're at home when my Stepdad comes home from work she waggles around his legs and then sits batting her eyelashes at him (literally, she really does bat her eyelashes  ) although she still always comes back to me and does everything I ask rather than actually listening to the men, she just likes to make them feel like they're important... she's got it well sussed 

I really wouldn't worry too much about this, try to relax as Louise said and spend as much fun time with her as you can, fun, positive training in particular can be very bonding for dogs and their owners.

[willowstar]

Thanks for your advice!!

I have tried to relax a little bit now, I think I was a bit wound up which probably didn't help matters!

She is still cuddly with her Daddy  but she clearly loves me too, as she gets very excited when I get home from work!!

Before, we were both on holiday to settle her in but now we are back I think she appreciates both of us alot more!!

Thanks again!! 

[SarahS]

Thanks for your advice!!

I have tried to relax a little bit now, I think I was a bit wound up which probably didn't help matters!

She is still cuddly with her Daddy  but she clearly loves me too, as she gets very excited when I get home from work!!

Before, we were both on holiday to settle her in but now we are back I think she appreciates both of us alot more!!

Thanks again!! 

Our last cocker switched between us his whole life.  He was definately my puppy, then my husband was off sick, so changed to having puppy eyes at husband. We have tried to ensure with this new guy that we both do the training and walking.   But I am definately firmer, so he sulks if I have told him off.  Not fair!

[bracken]

My cockers love the person thats feeds them  so thats me  during the week.

Weekends my OH gets lots of attention as he tends feed them 

Bless them   

[Becky and Wilson]

For some reason puppies always seem to prefer me to my OH!  When we got Wilson he was such a mummies boy and being our first dog which we'd both waited a LONG time for, OH was very upset that he preferred to be with me and not him!  Then when we got Paisley, she was almost scared of OH and would run away from him to get to me!  She loves him now though (but she's still a mummies girl!).  Isla seems to love both of us but will still come to me when she's tired and wants to snuggle!

[djangonut]

I don't believe in treats and expect my dogs to be bonded to me because they go to great places with me and do exciting things.

She who must be obeyed, (by me), shovels quantities of Spillers Shapes into the dogs.  She is always flavour of the month with them, even though she doesn't go shooting,  and doesn't even exercise the monsters.

It's not fair!

John

[Cazzie]

Awww what a shame  I wouldnt worry too much. Is your hubby the more authoritive with her  As dogs like children respond to discipline and seek approval 

My lot are all (My) dogs and yes they are affectionate to others but nothing like the way they are with me. Belle isnt keen on men so cant agree with the girls bonding better with men and vice versa. 

[tiamaria]

I don't believe in treats and expect my dogs to be bonded to me because they go to great places with me and do exciting things.

She who must be obeyed, (by me), shovels quantities of Spillers Shapes into the dogs.  She is always flavour of the month with them, even though she doesn't go shooting,  and doesn't even exercise the monsters.

It's not fair!

John

Exactly how i used to feel with the very first dog me and partner got, a rescue staff he was - i did everything for him, but who was the knee he curled up on at night, or the one he wanted to be with the most?? Not me that for sure - gratitude eh.