If you own a dog, you are probably aware of dogs’ deep affinity toward humans. As their caregivers, playmates, and protectors, dog’s have a special place in their heart for their owners. In some cases, often times in big households, dogs will get especially attached to one person. Surprisingly, this is not always the person who spends the most time with him/her or the one who is in charge of filling up the food bowl. In this article, we will cover the main reasons why dogs attach themselves to one person.
Why do dogs attach themselves to one person?
Puppy/Socialization Stage:
This is by far the most important developmental stage in a dog’s life. This usually occurs when the puppy is around 3-6 months, and he/she learns how to interact with other animals as well as humans. Dog behavioralists have found that dog’s form a strong bond with their caretakers during this crucial time period. The caretaker of the dog during this period becomes like a mother figure to the dog, and this bond lasts a lifetime.
Physical affection:
As you would expect, the person who most frequently comes into physical contact with the dog is usually the person the dog attaches to. This can come in the form of playing, grooming, petting, or just about any interaction between a person and the dog.
Positive association:
Additionally, dogs will attach themselves to the person who they associate with a positive interaction. For example, if there is one person who always give the dog a treat, the dog will likely follow this person around and display affection to get a reward. Another common example is when someone in the household frequently takes the dog on a run. The dog will thus associate the joy of running with that person in the household, and will likely result in a close attachment to him/her.
Why do dogs only attach themselves to one person?
Dog’s will often times show affection to the person who most resembles a mother figure. Since dog’s naturally only have one mother, they typically will only choose one person to show the most affection to.
