When did your dog become yours?

[k9krazee]

I'm not talking about when your dog joined your family, but when did he or she actually become "yours"? Was there a time when the bond instantly changed, was it immediate, or are you still waiting?

I liked Jack from the moment I saw him, and he liked me, but he was friendly enough to like anybody paid attention to him. When he was about 6 months old I went to Europe for a month, the first time I ever left him for an extended period of time. Upon returning he was MY dog. Since then he is devastated when I leave for college and my family says he mopes around for about a week after I leave. When I come home they say he's a whole different dog. He's unruly and mouthy when I'm gone and pleasant to be around when I'm home. He is definitely MY dog.

I've never had that with another dog. Micki (and Shadow) never really picked a specific person, Mini adores my dad and Kyra is all my mom's dog.

Mini and I do have a different connection now, I guess. When I started actually making a point to include her on activities (like walks, dog parks, bike rides, agility) she and I became a lot closer. She used to want nothing to do with me, and she still doesn't if dad is around, but she will actually follow me around to make sure she doesn't miss out on any fun now.

Okay, your turn!

[caseysmom]

With casey it was pretty instant, or at least within a few days. For her it was instant, I took her for a walk on the second day and a dog ran up to us and she got jealous when I pet him and has been like that every since.

For Bubba it took a few years, I got him for my daughter and now he is my little man and he has sure grown on me.

[Freedom]

Definite turning point with Lacey. She is the one I adopted from the "dog pound." She had been there over 6 weeks. Brought her home and she was happy enough.

About 3 weeks later, she crawled under the fence in the back yard and went exploring. (That area was blocked up tightly the next day.) Turns out Lacey has NO sense of direction. She was missing for an hour. I was driving around calling her, but turns out I was in entirely the wrong direction. I passed a woman walking her dog and told her about my errant pup. Later, she came across Lacey. She used HER dog as "bait," as Lacey kept shying away from the woman. But she was interested in sniffing the dog. The woman picked her up and carried her back to my house. All 14 pounds of her, as she didn't have a collar or harness on.

From the on, Lacey has been stuck like glue to my side. It's been almost 2 years.

[Suki Wingy]

I guess it was over time, slowly. He is still considered the family dog but he follows me around and sleeps in my room. I guess it came with as I got older I took on more of his care and became pretty much the only one who walks or trains him when I'm home. 4-H training helped because it was once a week just me and him for several hours (because the car ride alone was 45 minutes each way)

[FurkidsMom]

Mickey, my 12 year old border collie mix, became my girl when I realized I didn't want to go on a short vacation because I couldn't take her with me. I've always had cats and Mickey is my first dog so even though I've always loved her, I realized how much a part of my life she had become anticipating leaving on that trip. She seems to feel the same about me which is wonderful.

[cali]

Happy-before I brought her home..thats how I chose her..er she chose me.

Misty-4 weeks when I went to visit the litter, all the other pups ignored me they were busey doing there own thing..Misty tried to follow me home. she chose me..I went looking for a male lol

Electra-I am not sure actuallyit wasnt right away, she was kind of distant at first, but after about a week or so she became my baby.

Rusty-before he was ours..thats kinda how we wound up with him lol. my MOM wanted to keep him, I had no interest in keeping him, I just wanted to find him a good home. he chose me, he wont follow my mom around, never would, he only follows me, and he pitches a fit if I leave.

Ladybug-couple of days. at first she kinda stayed away, she didnt know where she was, but after a couple days she was training herself to be able to jump up and kiss me when I got home from work, and started getting upset when I left. she is a baby now lol

my mom hates it when I go out, because my dogs get terrably upset without me lol, they drive her crazy!

[scrain2329]

I was there for kayshas birth and she was mine as soon as she could run around. she was constantly following me. Even though I wasn't at the barn every day, she still recognized my smell even and voice even when her eyes weren't open yet. She knew it was me. her little legs straight up in the air with closed eyes still squirming and sqweeling haha. Sadly in the beginning my parents said no and I wasn't aloud to bring her home. My neighbors adopted her brother and her with 2 other aussies at home and when we lost our short hair they said she has always been yours sara, you need her.
But yeah, ever since she was an itty bitty baby she knew me. Our bond just keeps growing stronger every day: ).

[Cincy'sMom]

Sadie really chose me. When we went to look at her litter, I was holding her brother, and Ralph her. While we both thought they were cute, neither of us had a real connection to either one. We traded, and Sadie crawled into my coat, wrapped herself around me neck and snuggled in. She is a ddady's girl too, but it was me she made the first connection to.

Cincy was more stand-offish at first. Until she was 1, she was pretty independant and would most times go lay onth bedroom, rather then in the living room with the rest of us. ABout the time she hit one year things clicked and she became more a part of the family, and has grown increasingly affectionate ever since. It has just been int he last six months or so she has taken to jumping up in the chair with me occasionally. Thursday night before her surgery, it was like she knew something was going to happen...she slept in my lap for hours.

Spot was a daddy's boy at first. Not that he didn't like me, but he spent more time with Ralph. He will still sit with either one of us, but most nights now, when I sit down to watch TV and throw a blanket in my lap, that is his cue to jump up there. And yes, it gets sorta crowded onthose nights when both Cincy and Spot get in the chair with me!

[Taz_Zoee]

I don't know exactly when Zoee became mine. At first I figured she'd grow closer to Bruce since she was home with him all day long. But that didn't happen. When we are both home she pretty much follows me all around the house. When I am home alone and she saw Bruce leave she will sit in the entry way and whine for him to come home. (She actually doesn't do this as much since we got Taggart though.) I am home alone tonight, so we will see what happens.

Taggart is still not terribly close to either one of us. I think he loves everyone. He would lay his head in any lap he can get to. He follows me around too, well all four of them follow me everywhere.

[Twisterdog]

Interesting topic. Thanks for posting it.

Keito became mine when I gave him an ultimatum ... straighten up, or back to the shelter. Seriously, I swear the dog understands every word I say. It's spooky sometimes. I adopted him on a Saturday, no problems whatsoever on Sunday. Monday I go to work, and (foolishly, I was young), left him the house. I shut the bedroom doors, though. He opened them. Doorknobs are nothing to him. He proceeded to get the wrought iron birdcage off the chest of drawers, get the four-year-old-proof latch off the cage and eat the birds.

Well, my fault, I thought ... what else can he do? Next day he opens the refrigerator (also nothing to him), takes everything out ... every bottle, every ketchup packet lost in the back of the bottom crisper, gallons of milk .... everything. And proceeds to carry it all in the living room, on the carpet, and destroy it. I had to have my ceilings painted because I couldn't wash off the soy sauce. Seriously.

I buy a big wire crate. I put him in it in the kitchen. Whew!! Wrong. Somehow during the day, he reached his paw out of a slat between the wires, grabbed a wool blanket I had covering a small table, pulled it from two feet away into his crate ... a full sized wool blanket through probably a one inch by two inch hole ... and ripped it into tiny pieces. Big problem though, was that my 30 gallon aquarium was on that table. So I come home to the kitchen floor covered in water, gravel, broken glass and dead fish.

So, I take him out of the crate, hold his head, look into his eyes and say, "You are the coolest dog I've met, and I'd love to keep you. But if you keep this up, you leave me no choice. I will have to take you back to the shelter."

And never another problem. Keito would sooner chew off his own leg than chew up something in the house. He has been, for fourteen years, the best dog I've ever owned. It was a test, you see ... a test for me. Since then he has been my heart dog, aloof to everyone else.

[Twisterdog]

And since that was such a long post, I'll try not to monopolize the whole thread!

RB Lacie was never really my dog, even though I owned her first and before kids, other dogs, etc. She was just a really aloof dog who only tolerated every person she ever met, myself included.

RB Queenie, Aspen and Lucky were my son's dogs, from the first time they saw him. Lucky and my RB Sadie actually much preferred men to women, and would have gladly picked my dad, my son or my husband over me.

Georgie loves everyone equally. Anyone with a lap they will let him crawl into is his most favorite person in the world.

Sequoia was always my dog, from the first time I picked her up at four weeks old. Vanilla was my dog from the time I put her in my car and drove away from the shelter. Pepper was mine totally, 100% ... she won't even look at anyone else ... from the time I first coaxed her out from under my bed, after her hiding there for a solid month after I first brought her home.

[catnapper]

I think she was mine from the first I met her, even when she "belonged" to another couple. She was in my puppy class and I fought myself playing favorites with her. Nearly a year passed and I spotted a freecycle post listing a 1 year old golden-doodle named Callie. Now, just how many of those are in my neighborhood? I replied to them before I even asked hubby if he was ok with me getting a second dog.

A week of emails and phone calls, and they agreed to bring her over and meet Nicki - it all hinged on how well my old girl liked the little one. Callie remembered me, and loved Nicki (and Nicki liked her). The couple was shocked how she remembered me. I'm still the only one she really listens to (not saying she listens to me very well )

I adore this little girl and she adores me. She sleeps on my feet every night, which is nice now since she keeps my toesies warm

[K9karen]

Mz Logan wheedled her way into my heart a few days after I adopted her. I swore, and I mean SWORE to myself that I wouldn't let another dog invade my heart. But she was in such need of hugs and kisses and so timid and sweet and good, I was hooked.
Of course she's now an intricate part of the family.

[RipplingWaves55]

Lady has stolen my heart from the time I saw her to now!

[blue]

Blue became my dog from day 1 or 2. He needs to know where Im at when Im home and checks on me freaquently.

Verde has been here a few years and Im not sure if she is "my" dog or not but she sure has a connection with the Blue dog.