Is Your Dog Universally Loved?

[ParNone]

And by that I mean, people who've gotten a chance to really interact with your dog, like family and friends and such. Not people for example, who walk by you on the street and instantly decide because he's Black or a Pit Bull or something similar, that he's not likable.

For mine, Maddie and Oz, especially Oz, have charmed the pants off of just about everybody they meet. They have that special *it*, that people are just drawn too. Oz even manages to win over non-dog people.

Recently, Oz got a huge compliment from my Uncle. He's a country man, with a farm and he's particular about dogs. They should have a working purpose in his mind. He's not much for phoo-phoo dogs. He spent the day with Oz and me and at the end of the day, he told me what a great dog Oz was. Wow, getting that kind of respect from my Uncle was surprising to say the least.

Now with Murph and Gull, especially Gull, it's not so much that people dislike them, but they don't seem to garner the same level of gushiness as Oz and Maddie. There have been occasions where somebody has raved about Murph, but it's rarer and poor Gull, pretty much non-existent for him.

Gull is really bonded to me and I seem to be the only one who appreciates his uniqueness. Like he loves to greet people, by running through their legs for butt scratchies. He's harpooned many a person in the crotch with his nose, when they weren't ready for the run through their legs. You'd be surprised how many people, especially men, don't appreciate that greeting. :)

I know that nobody will ever love Gull as deeply as I do or get as big a kick out of his antics, so in some ways that gives us a very deep bond. The same applies to Murph. I had a friend tell me once, she couldn't get as close to Murph as she could to Maddie, because Murph wouldn't ever take his eyes off me and focus on her.

As special as Maddie and Oz are, I know they'd have fit in with anybody that would have been lucky enough to get them in their family. With Murph and Gull though, they make me feel like the special one, because they only have eyes for me. ;)

So how about your puppers?

Par...

[Jessika]

Of my dogs Jamie is the favorite among my friends just because she is so outgoing and loves to play. Charlie on the otherhand is favored by my family members only because he was around them long enough to warm up to them, so he will let them pet him and stuff. And they have also been around him long enough to see him open up and just be plain goofy!!

I have never had anyone who is in my life not like my dogs. Even strangers on the street think they are so nice nad pretty!! Except a guy downstairs, Jamie barked at him while I was walking her, he got scared!! :o Jamie, of all dogs, he got scared and thought she would bite him!! I told him the worse that would happen is he would get licked to death.. he didn't find it funny :o

[k9krazee]

With my family (the older ones, like Aunts and Uncles..) Shadow is the favorite. I think they like how she is so easy going, very quiet and will sit nicely to be petted.

With my friends and little kids (like my cousins) Jack is the favorite because he is always so excited about everything, incredibly outgoing and he loves to play or perform tricks for them.

ETA:

Micki, Mini and Kyra are not universally loved :(

Kyra is very standoffish when she first meets somebody and takes a LONG time to actually warm up (helps if you happen to have a bouncy ball ;) )

Micki is very talkative and likes to woof at you until you acknowledge his presence. People generally don't understand and just think its annoying.

And Mini is completely devoted to my dad and may seem standoffish to other people. She is truely a one person dog ;)

[Roxyluvsme13]

Everybody loves them both!
My family is always asking how they are :D

[Dixieland Dancer]

Everybody loves Dusty because he is a character and is always ready to play. He also loves to cuddle no matter where he's at and with whomever he's with.

Dixie is loved by everyone in the family because she is just a special girl! With friends she is more aloof unless they are willing to rub her paws.

[RobiLee]

I have to say No. :(

Most of my family think we are nuts to have two big dogs. Two big HAIRY dogs! What were we thinking blah, blah, blah. We don't have visitors often so no one really sees them. My mom seems terrified of them which I find odd because we have always had dogs, but I guess they were always small to medium size dogs. I never knew bigger dogs scared her. My dad thinks they are beautiful, but that we are still crazy. They LIKE the dogs but there is no love. It made me and Alden sad the other day when we found out his mom and dad were in town and had thought about stopping by but were afraid the dogs might hurt his dad (his dad is very frail and ill). Geesh, the first thing we would have done would be to put the dogs outside or put up the gate and confine them to the kitchen/dining room. I can't take my dogs to anyone's house. We do go to my folks place once in awhile to run the fields and they do go inside for a bit but I can feel my mom tense up partly because she is scared of them and partly because they might get her house hairy and dirty..lol. I mostly keep them outside when I take them out there.

I have to add that Katie goes completely nuts over my mom. She licks, paws and noses her to death. She seems to love her. I always have to tell her to leave Grandma alone..lol. I wonder if this is because she senses my mom's submissive behavior around her and its her way of dominating her. Is there something to that?

[cyber-sibes]

mostly yes. Everyone loves Star, because she is so charming, and she's a really a "people" dog. She loves to look into your eyes with her big beautiful blue eyes, and she's very "gracious" and well-behaved. my son is the ony one that can get away with treating her like a baby, picking her up to carry around, & all. she doesn't like it, but she tolerates it from him. I don't think I've ever had anyone say they don't like her.
People like Sherman, too but he is more naturally shy and wary than Star, so he tends to hang back. He's my velcro pup. It just takes people a little longer to get to know him. He's a gentle soul, he grows on people.
Ah, then there was my Rosie girl! I loved that dog like she was my long lost baby, but she drove everyone else nuts! The chewing, the digging, the barking, the licking... my goofy girl! Gosh I miss her! :D IWhen friends got to know her better, they liked her too, but still thought she was a pain.

[Pembroke_Corgi]

Marta is the canine equivalent of a social butterfly, so yes, most people really like her. She LOVES everyone she meets, especially children and the elderly. I'm not really sure why since she wasn't especially socialized to these groups of people but she's very gentle with kids, and has been to visit older relatives in nursing homes, where she's always a hit. :) One of my cousins kids who is scared of dogs loves Marta and even bought her a christmas present!

Adele is well liked by close family members and friends- people who can really get to know her. I have to admit she is very obnoxious when you meet her. :o She jumps up and loves to lick, she will just lick, lick, lick. Usually I put her in her crate when new people come over until she is settled down (or she will knock them over) and introduce her slowly. She gets really excited.

[slleipnir]

Anyone that have really gotten to know Zeke and Josie, tend to really like them. My uncle, who hates dogs, has even patted them quickly on the head. I think people generally like Zeke better, however. He is very social, and will push his way on to you and make you pat him. If you don't, then he sticks his nose under your hand so it goes on his head. He is very silly, but very gentle and lovable.

Josie is the biggest sweety, but usually, you need to know her. She isn't always good around strangers. Zeke almost always pushes her out of the way, and almost always the people stop patting her and pat Zeke. She always gives up and looks from the side lines. I literally have to make zeke sit and stay to allow Josie some attention. I guess that might be why people seem to like him more? Because she is a very sweet, loving dog herself.

[charlestongirl]

My dog Winnie gets a lot of attention for her looks. She is a lab mix but smaller than most labs. Her ears stand straight up, and her reddish brown color seems to be unusual to most people that meet her. Right away they comment on her color, all kinds of people, people we know, random strangers, etc. They always get a kick out of her ears.
They notice Lily is very calm, and she'll sit right away upon meeting people so she thinks she gets a treat. They unfortunately notice she's a bit overweight at this point. We are working on that!

[zoomer]

Well... Buddy doesn't have the best interaction with my family, lol :rolleyes: He goes crazy and jumps all over everyone. Well, to my cousins and friends he is loved to death, but to the adults in my family, they think he's crazy!

Georgia...she is definetly loved to death by friends and family! My grandma just LOVES her, and my friends and the kids in my family LOVE playing with her!!! My uncle loves having her over to play with his Labrador. And everyone else just loves her to death.

Alaska... same with Georgia. Except the my uncle :rolleyes: Because he humps his purebred Lab everytime he sees her :rolleyes: :p

[cali]

Ripley and Happy are loved by all, Happy has a ton of friends who are petrified of all other dogs, dogsport people love her structure and speed, pet people love her personality and obedience, anti-dog people love her because she is so calm and well behaved. Ripley is loved because he is cute. simple as that, he is adorable and everyone falls in love with him instantlyweather is be any random person off the street or people who get to know him, this is a dog that has his own personal fan clubs all over the country, people who will come to flyball tournys for no other reason then to see Ripley lol

Blair is very much disliked, with him you either love him or hate him. many people hate him, a few people love him. its just because his skittishness it to the extreme, there are some people he will not let get close to him so those people just assume that he is ALWAYS jumpy and barking and biting, and wonder how we can possably like him lol

Misty is liked by most people, some people simpley dont like that she is so affectionate, but most people love her lol

Perky, either she likes you or she does'nt lol if she likes you your in luck and she is very sweet and you will be allowed to like her, however if she does not like you, ya mid as well forget it lol

[K9karen]

I had to think about the answer. I guess it's yes and no, depending on the situation. I'm sure people aren't thrilled walking by our house and getting barked at, or come in and (depending if she knows you) also getting a woof or 2. But, once company is in and seated, Logan will walk over, sometimes shyly for a heine rub or head pat, then sits calm and quietly and watches the going ons. She's still a bit frightened of strange or new situations, thanks to her previous life, but everyone does remark how beautiful and smart and sweet she is and how much she's changed. Her best behavior is when I'm around. She never likes me out of her sight. I'm so in love, I can't endure it sometimes.

[bckrazy]

Gonzo is just like Charlie :) strangers say he's really sweet, but my family raves over him... he would lay down his life for any of our family and close friends, and they all say he's the best. Even my Grandma, who otherwise only appreciates Poodles and Corgis.

[Pawsitive Thinking]

Tobey knows how to turn on the charm - head on one side, ears up, tail wagging :rolleyes:

[Kfamr]

I think out of all three, Kiara is the most loved by others. We always get people crowding around us to watch her play. They love how she flies for the flippy.
My uncle and cousin met her for the first time last week/weekend. They both fell in love. I heard my cousin talking to her husband and kids back home numerous times talking about Kiara. :p

My uncle almost forgot to say goodbye to me the day they flew out, and cried when he said goodbye to Kiara. :rolleyes: :p


When people get to know Simba and Nala (and vice versa) they love them too. But, only after Simba stops ignoring them. My aunt who hates most dog and most things-doggy-like loves my 3.

Usually with family, the older relatives like Simba and the younger relatives like Ki & Nala.... but there are exceptions.

[cloverfdx]

People & some family members dont like the Border Collies :(, oh well thats their loss. Almost everyone loves Penny as she is realy quite a friendly lil girl. Theo does not like strangers so people dont tend to like him either when they meet him for the first/ only time. Everyone who loves big butch dogs loves Clover :rolleyes:.

[elizabethann]

Fenway's a magnet for people and children. They just love him. He's very friendly - loves to play, loves attention, just a very happy dog. He's only 21 pounds and very scruffy looking so when they see him, their first words are usually "Benji". And everybody loves Benji.

:)

[lv4dogs]

Sure my family & friends love all my dogs but Nanooks got them beat by far in this subject. He's just such an amazing, smart, lovable, obedient dog that everyone who meets him falls head over heals for him. I can't count the amount of times I've taken him for a walk or the like & people will go out of their way to say hi to Nanook and to top it off many of them know him, even by name yet I do not even know the person. Many people swear he had to be human in his past life. He really is the best dog I have ever had or met.

[beeniesmom]

A lot of people love my dogs but there are some that don't.

I went to get my car washed a few weeks ago and had both puppers with me.

The car wash man said that I shouldn't have brought them with me because they were scary and dangerous (?).

I asked why and he said that they were mini pit bulls??? WHHAAAA

I expalined that they were Boston terriers and laughed it off. I also said that even if they were Pits, they were not dangerous.

I wanted to argue with the guy but he was just WAY too ignorant for me.

During my hour wait for my car to be ready, all kinds of people stopped and got kisses from my so called DANGEROUS and SCARY dogs.

When the dumb a$$ car wash man handed me my keys he had a change of heart and apologized.
Some people.... :eek:

[elizabethann]

A lot of people love my dogs but there are some that don't.

I went to get my car washed a few weeks ago and had both puppers with me.

The car wash man said that I shouldn't have brought them with me because they were scary and dangerous (?).

I asked why and he said that they were mini pit bulls??? WHHAAAA

I expalined that they were Boston terriers and laughed it off. I also said that even if they were Pits, they were not dangerous.

I wanted to argue with the guy but he was just WAY too ignorant for me.

During my hour wait for my car to be ready, all kinds of people stopped and got kisses from my so called DANGEROUS and SCARY dogs.

When the dumb a$$ car wash man handed me my keys he had a change of heart and apologized.
Some people.... :eek:


Hahaha. That's actually kind of funny! The Beans & Frank...dangerous. Though I think I would be afraid of them if I had a hot dog or hamburger in my hands. ;) :D :p Just kidding.

[ParNone]

robilee writes:
We do go to my folks place once in awhile to run the fields and they do go inside for a bit but I can feel my mom tense up partly because she is scared of them and partly because they might get her house hairy and dirty..lol. I mostly keep them outside when I take them out there.

Not to worry, your Mom's not the only one like that about her house. As much as my Mom loves the Collies, because of their shedding, they aren't allowed in her house. Murph is allowed if he stays in my lap, since he doesn't really shed that much.

I usually only take them all over there, when we're having a family b-b-que outside, so that we're not isolated from everybody else. My sister, who normally doesn't like dogs, is even agreeable to having them around for b-b-ques, because that's the only time my Nephews will stay outside with us the whole time and not be lured to the inside and video games.

I'm also, in the middle of converting the back of Mom's garage into a lil' mini apartment, that way I can go visit and stay the night and the dogs can come too.

Par...

[Denyce]

Sequoia has charmed the treats out of anyone who has met her either briefly or over a period of time. My in-laws are just nuts about her. They ask how she is doing all the time and have no problem with us bringing her to visit even though they are allergic to dogs. We just don't allow her in their bedroom. And since we are usually staying for several days that is quite the ordeal. My almost 60 year old father in law the last time we were there visiting was down on his hands and knees with his butt wiggling in the air playing with her. She just turns on that husky charm and smiles and woos and people melt.

[ramanth]

Kia has charmed most of my friends and family. I have a few friends though that are not "dog people". They respect her and tolerate her at best, but they don't go 'goo goo gaa gaa' over her like some of my other friends.

[king2005]

When I had my old guy, there were VERY few people, who didn't like him. Even the postman loved him! There was a crippled & slight mentally disabled man down the road. He hated dogs ONLY because they were scared of his walking crutches & tended to bark & snarl at him. But Max didn't care, he gently ran up to the man & demanded to be loved. After that the man would come over everyday for months & months & months to play with Max. Max always gave him the ball & the man would toss it only a few feet (that was the best he could do), but Max didn't care, he'd play with the man for a couple of hours. Then we had to get the man a chair, so it would be easier for him to pet & love Max.

Max use to go to the RRC (Rideau Regional Centre, if for mentally dissabled people & suicidal people, with the padded rooms & strapping chairs & helmets) with dad. Max would do his best to befriend all the residents, even the ones trying to hit him & yelling crazy things.

Strangers invited us into their yards & homes to Max could play with their kids, as Max was GREAT around tots & was good for teaching tots how to pet & play with dogs. Many pulled his fur, or private parts, or piled blocks on him. One girl LOVED to chase him around the house, he would go just fast enough that she couldn't get him. Then they would switch & he wwould chase her around the house, just far enough to be behind her.. He would take any object the kids gave him & he would run away trying to get the kids to chase him around the house..

Everyone knew him. I had these people who would park their boats at the same spots year after year to watch Max jump out into the water, make his BIG splash & then obey directions to where the log is (Dad make me special logs so he wouldn't hurt himself on them). Kids would even hop in & splash about with him, however he was able to jump WAY out when they could only jump manybe 5 feet out.

Max would even go to Jim's Garage with dad & he would get lots of loving over there. It was mostly people who were scared of dogs who didn't like him. My aunt is scared of any dog bigger then 5 pounds. However Max was sooo well behaved, she got him nice blankets to lay on outside & said nice things about him & even looked at him through the door (she would NEVER do that for another dog). She even wanted to cook him a steak! But that was a no, so she chopped up a carrot for him, as that was ok.

[.sarah]

I've never met a person that didn't like my dogs. Mandy, Nova, and Buck are usually the favorites though because Luka is sometimes timid around new people (mostly men, which I find odd because she was abused by a woman). Of course at the moment Buck is the current favorite because he is a puppy. When he gets older I'm sure people will fear him because of his color ("Big black dog syndrome" :rolleyes: ). Nova is the usual favorite around here because she is just so friendly, too friendly almost (she likes to "hug" people at first greetings ;)).

All of my family loves the dogs, though nobody in my family has met Luka or Buck yet. My mom's mom really liked our RB Dachshund, Buttons.

[Tollers-n-Dobes]

At the moment, everyone loves Morgan because she's a puppy but I'm sure everyone will fear her when she grows up just like they did with Echo (everyone loved her as a pup too...). Most people are afraid/leary of Winston because he's a Doberman but once they get to know him, they absolutely love him. Almost everyone loves Tango simply because they think she's pretty, most people can't believe how energetic she is though and they quickly get sick of having a ball dropped in their lap constantly...lol. Strangers love her though, I often get a crowd when I take her to play frisbee. They're all amazed at how athletic she is aswell as the fact she rarely misses and always brings it right back to me without having to be asked. I love it, it's great socialization for her because afterwards everyone wants to pet her and some of the kids like to try throwing the frisbee for her a few times. Tia, being a cute little Dachshund is loved by everyone who likes small dogs.

[pitc9]

No :(
Most everyone is afraid to some extent of both of my pups. :(
They are very protective of me, the yard and the house. German Shepherds... Go Figure huh?!? :D
My mother in law is deathly afraid of Buddy, and he knows it. :(
My father in law.... they love each other SO much! (and to think that Buddy STILL hates my husband!! Go Figure!!! :mad: )
My dad used to be intimidated by Buddy but he's gotten better and knows he doesn't have to be afraid of him. My mom was kind of the same as my dad, but not as bad.
Sierra... she's a sneaky one. Anyone that's been in my back yard with her know that you have to watch your butt! She's a butt nipper! :o But it doesn't hurt at all; she's just being bad.... VERY VERY bad! And she knows it because when you turn around to stop her or tell her "no", she'll stand there and "Woooo" at you. :mad: :mad:
All of our family members know she's harmless (as long as you're in the house) once you're in the house, she'll curl right up on your lap if you'll let her.
I one thing that keeps people on their toes with my dogs is that they both are hand/head shy and if you make a quick move that they are not expecting it freaks them out and they'll let you know that they didn't like it.
When it comes to strangers, more people are afraid if Sierra because of her black face and crazy looking eyes. Are they nuts??!!? That's what I love about her the most!!! :p
My sister has kids and keeps bugging me about when I'm going to have kids and "blah blah blah you have those two huge dogs... Buddy's to unpredictable blah blah".... Oh it drives me nuts!! She has no clue!
I know Bud has issues and I take extra measures to ensure everyone's safety. But I also know that he means the world and more to me! I don't know where I would be with out Bud. He is my savior, my love and my life. I know my parents understand it because they've come to realize he's the reason I'm happy. (It sure isn't my marriage that makes me happy :( )

[Ginger's Mom]

No. Ginger isn't a people dog. She is very timid and takes a wide berth around strangers, so they tend to walk past without taking any real notice. Family think she is a nice girl, but I don't think she holds a very special place in their hearts. However, just because she is not universally loved doesn't mean she isn't loved. She has managed to worm her way into the hearts of several of my neighbors, and it is always a joyous occasion when she sees them. :)
My RB girl on the other hand was very much a people dog and was universally loved (until she got old - over 11). Many times when I was out walking her people whom I did not know would walk by or drive by and call her by name! She knew and loved everyone. It's funny though I never had to worry about her being stolen, because whenever I had to have someone else walk her for me, I would have at least two people approach me the next day and ask me who was walking Peaches. So if she was ever with someone she didn't belong with my neighbors would have known it.

[wolf_Q]

Ehh that's a hard one...I'd have to say no. Nebo is loved more than anything by ME of course. My parents love him too because they know how much he means to me. The rest of my family, well they say they do, but I don't think they really do that much. My brother says he's allergic to him and he and his wife have a fit about dog hair. My sister said that too, until she got the golden retriever (which I swear sheds worse) and now she's magically no longer allergic. :rolleyes: But they'll all at least pet him and pretend they like him when they come over. Everyone gets a kick out of him doing his tricks for them (play dead seems to be the favorite).

As for friends, I think my friend, Michele, (who has the dog Cisco) loves him. I think my other friend, Cassie, likes him personality wise but she's not one for dog hair either and she thinks I'm insane for how much I love dogs. Those are about the only friends I have around here who ever visit my house. When I take him to work he's very well behaved and pretty friendly with everyone, he loves my boss because she always feeds him treats lol. Usually he attracts quite a few people wanting to see the "snow dog."

Nebo is generally afraid of strangers so at other people's houses/strange places they probably don't like him because he usually won't even let people pet him away from home. When strangers come over to our house he's quite friendly and interested in them, though with men most of the time he'll lick their hands but not let them pet him. With woman it usually just takes a treat and he'll be your friend. He's not a snuggle into your lap the first time he meets you kind of dog. ;) Just judging by looks, people either think he's the most gorgeous dog ever or the scariest.

As for PT, he does have a few fans but I don't know if he's "universally loved" on here.