I was just wondering, from all you owners with multiple dog households...if your dogs bond to different people in your house? I shall explain...We currently have a 2 year old female Golden and despite all my efforts she is very much my husbands dog...EVEN though I'M the one that spends 80% of the day with just me and her...you can tell she is more closely bonded to him...He does do his fair share of her care (long walk in the morning, play in the evening) but she definitely spends more time with me than the OH. It is quite clear that she just prefers men in general (little floozy) She will always go and fuss men in a room first, say when we see family or anything.
Dont get me wrong she does love me, is very obedient for me...and I get the occasional cuddle from her...but she only reeeeally has eyes for the hubs. Anyway what I am wondering is, we are looking to get a young rescue dog in the near future and I wondered what the chances of the next one mainly bonding to him aswell...will the 'new edition' see Rosie naturally going to him and want to do the same thing aswell...? do dogs even think like that?? Im sure it is probably down to the individual dog and their personality...but would be interested to know how other dogs behave...(Ive never had more than one dog at a time)

Many thanks!

Definitely! Our (current) oldie is, and always has been, very much our son's dog - we got her when he was 6 and they've grown up together. The bitch we kept from her first litter is a family dog with no noticeable alliance to anyone in particular, but of the other two (both male) one is definitely mine and his brother my husband's. They behave entirely differently depending on who takes them out - they don't have a lot of respect for the 'wrong' person.

With my breed, the boys'  hearts usually belong to their "mum".  The bitches are more equal in their affections.

Our oldest dog is very much a daddy's boy - he was a rescue and it was very evident for the first couple of years as hubby's shoes were the only ones that were pee'd on when hubby came home from work :D Tara shares herself around the family - but has a soft spot for our son when he comes home for a visit :)

Daisy

Henry's a mummy's boy - it's only recently he started obeying my OH enough to be let off the lead if I wasn't around to recall him! Ellie's a mummy's girl too, but George is much more my OH's dog and will leave rubbish when told by him, but not always by me! :-)

In my breed they seem to be attracted more to the other sex.

Of my five the eldest Elka was mine (but liked to pretend she didn't give a damn), the next Tula was everybodies and anybodies.

Kizi has always been devoted to my daughter (sad as she isn't into the dogs anymore, though recently realises she has hurt her former canine pals feelings and makes more of an effort), then me. 

Jozi has always from the moment she came back to me 5 years ago adored my son (now 15, though he hat3es to admit he adores her too).

Not sure with Lexi but with kids having their own lives ore and more probably attached really only to me, but likes everyone.

Then our previous ESS was a bit different than all the other posts.  She was mine when it came to walks and playing outside and the OH's when it came to snuggling and petting inside.  We both fed her.

Unfortunately all of my dogs bond to me, but so do the SWD's that live with my parents!  They love my parents don't get me wrong, but when I'm there, they are with me 90% of the time and wait for me at the door if I go out of the room.  Lana knows about 5 minutes before I arrive that I'm on my way, no matter what time it is and sits and waits for me at the door.  My mum always knows when I'm about to arrive even if I haven't told her that I'm coming!!

Thanks everybody! So there is hope then?! Nice to know that not all dogs in the same house bond to the same person, I guess we shall just have to wait and see!

Tara was my OHs dog. When I met him she was 18mths old but she bonded with me straight away and now she is definitely my dog. She has a real preference to women, and she wasn't even fully house trained til I moved in. Needless to say now she obeys me completely, follows me everywhere, etc etc, as I am with her all day but she usually just ignores OHs commands. When she decides to play (rarely these days) she is definitely gentler with me too.

Handsome our old boy brought as my dad's dog is anyones, Arnie is my dads dog although if his Dad isn't around I'm his second pick and close behind.  it's me and my Dad he get's jelous over and will not let anyone hug either of us without making his presense known!  Maisie is anyones although will show best for me and will prefer me or my mum over the boys.  Moya is a mans dog, going for Dad or brother but not hugely faviourtising!

Our first bitch Emmi was a daddies girl, no questions asked she loved her Daddy so much he couldn't show her because she tried to please too hard!

All my dogs end up being my dogs. Whether this is because I've always done such training as they get or whether it's cupboard love I couldn't say! My cocker was rehomed and he very much needed to create a special bond since he'd been very much one person dog until his owner died. He transferred his loyalty to me without any problem but was never prepared to be left out of any human to human affection. Within reason, I hasten to add!! But if we both went out together and my OH came back before me, the dog used to look past him and give my partner a look that he swore said "OK, which bit of the patio have you buried her under?"

Nips is very fond of my OH but is much more likely to take notice of requests from him after trying a "whatever" response first. His behaviour today - a horrible wet and windy afternoon with all of us at home - is typical because he's curled up around the castors of my chair and moves when I do. But the OH can go up and downstairs as often as he likes without some sort of terrier bodyguard.

Whether both the dogs being male has any bearing I don't know.

We have a male and he is anyones, but at the end of a hard day will always come and lay by mt feet unless of course we have exciting guests staying and he will lay by them. We also look after a relatives bitch from time to time, and she is all men barely took any notice of me and my sister unless we had food. Lively dogs seem to like people who play with them and excite them.

Only personal experience here.  Different breeds do different things and can be as varied in their affections as people.

It sometimes happens though that the person who is in the home least gets the most attention especially with a single dog.  I would guess the dog doesn't want to let the more rarely seen person out of their sight.  Other dogs bond more with the person who feeds them even though the other person is there all day and does the walks etc.

Some dogs will attach themselves to people who generally ignore them and don't put them under pressure to be fussed.  They all have thier own little ways. 

Your next dog could be your best friend or your OH's it really is a bit of a lottery.

Good luck with your new one.

I have to say that all my 8 bond mostly with me. I put it down to it being me who does the training and walking, OH only feeds and shows! :D I do mean that seriously -I've put in so very, very much time on each one training them and this seems to me to be what really creates a strong bond.

ALL MY BOYS ARE FOR ME the girls for andrew.

so he got 5 i got 1.that why i want another boy dog always had boys but it just turn that the dogs i got now are the ones i bred and the girls were better one in the litter,

so no more girls in this household next one a boy fcr

What A FCR not a nice SWD boy that you are gonna bring over with different lines so that we can all use him Terri, awww

no i want a nice liver fcr male next time

Yeah Jenny you tell her !!!!   We want a beautiful black boy in the country, from lines not too far out but not close either :d :d   Go on, go on, you know you wanna :d :d  I can't have another boy, got enough with the two that I've already got, although I wouldn't swap them.  Well let me think about that

Our first, Freya, is very much a daddies girl.  Lola, a rescue is anybodies - just happy to be here, I guess.  Casper is a daddies boy, and the Great Danes, Elsa and Meg are mine.  It is amusing to see Feya and Casper trying to sit on OH's knee in the evening - they are convinced they are lap dogs, not Weimaraners!

Laughed at that last one! The girls adore hubby and are pathetic when my father in law is around - I think it's his deep rumbly voice. Eddie utterly adores me even though hubby rescued him (literally 5 mins away from death) but whoever visits knows exactly where I am in the house as I have 3 shadows!

I do more with them I suppose..............completely different story when step daughter is here. I may as well not exist! So yes, partly opposite sex and partly as much time as possile for whoever is there the least.

Karen