# Male dogs and bond with owners



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Has anyone noticed male dogs bonding with owner more as they mature? Recently, I've seen my 17 month old male seem to have a need to be as close to me as possible. 

He does things like this lately.

Jax was laying on the ottoman last night so instead of laying next to her or on the floor, he climbed up behind me and draped himself across my shoulders like a stole. Apparently that wasn't as comfortable as he imagined so he got down and then climbed over me to lay on the arm of the chair.

In bed, he has to be at my head. He'll look at Jax like he's lost if she's in that spot. Last night, he got up and crawled in between bodies to lay as close to me as possible.


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## dhaney81 (Nov 5, 2014)

My puppy is only 5 months and he already has to have his body, leg or some body part touching me while he's chewing on a bone or bully stick. He even set's his butt right on my lap while he was chewing sometimes.


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

Not really, Sinister has been glued to my side since the day I brought him home. He's always wanted to be right there next to me.


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

Russell is the only male GSD I've had, and he's been glued to me since I got him at 9-10 weeks old. He'll be 2 years old next week. My girls were never this touchy-feely!


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## newlie (Feb 12, 2013)

I got Newlie when he was around two, we think, so we didn't have the early bonding that you get when you adopt a puppy. When he first came home, he was friendly enough, but if he had been taken elsewhere I am not sure how much it would have bothered him. I was still grieving over the loss of my previous dog so at first my attachment to him wasn't tight either. But as time has passed, the bond has definitely deepened on both sides. As I mentioned on another thread, he lies across my torso when he sleeps and wants to be glued to me wherever I am. His trainer has commented more than once "Notice the way that dog looks at you, he just adores you!"


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

newlie said:


> His trainer has commented more than once "Notice the way that dog looks at you, he just adores you!"


I love this! :wub: My Russell is the same way with me. I kid that he loves me WAY too much.


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## crsobrooks (Jan 6, 2015)

My male animals are much more bonded with me than our female. Right now our two boy dogs and the boy cat are in the kitchen with me. Female dog is probably upstairs somewhere doing her own thing.

We had a female cat who didn't like to be around people, either.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Yes, my males have always been more affectionate. Both male and female are always near me. .

But what I asked was "Has anyone noticed male dogs bonding with owner more as they mature?"


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## GatorDog (Aug 17, 2011)

Honestly, I have with Aiden. He's approaching 6 years old and he's much more affectionate recently than he ever was in his younger years.


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

Yes, Delgado's always wanted to be close but content with a little distance when it comes to physical affection but as he's aged it's become more evident that's changing. He's gone from snuggling only when asked to actively seeking it, he waits on the bed and gets upset when I kick him off so I can get settled and waits impatiently to be invited back up again so he can snuggle close. He chooses to sit on the same couch rather than the other. That's only popped up in the last year or so. 

I thought it was more of a GSD thing as Delgado is my first, very interesting


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

I haven't noticed a difference with Keefer. He's always been extremely affectionate, and about as bonded (to me especially, but also to Tom) as he could possibly be. Even when I was younger I remember commenting that if he could smear himself all over me like peanut butter, he would! We didn't allow dogs on the furniture back then, so I'd sit on the floor to be with him as a puppy, and he'd climb in my lap immediately.

If anything, Halo has become more affectionate as she's matured. She's much more independent than Keef in general in that she doesn't need to be always up our butts, but she's a cuddly girl too. :wub:


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## Debanneball (Aug 28, 2014)

Fritz (8 months) is my first male dog. He has to be in the same room as me all the time, even the bathroom..I shut him out when I shower, oh, the carrying on.. However, he has never sat on my lap, he does not sleep in the bed. I hope as time goes on the bond will strengthen even more!


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## Kahrg4 (Dec 19, 2012)

To some extent, yes. Cafall used to sleep on the bed but not touching me. As he matured he had to have a small contact point, then curled up next to my legs, now it's an all out spoon fest. He used to nap by the front door when I was home. Now he'll find wherever I am and sleep at my feet. Whether this has anything to do with maturity or just the evolution of our relationship, idk.


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## Pax8 (Apr 8, 2014)

I'll be interested to see where Kaiju goes as he gets older. Up to about a year, he loved being around me but didn't have to be cuddling. He was just as happy lying on his bed as next to me. 

Now the past few months, he waits impatiently for me to go to bed because he wants to be IN MY ARMS, he won't leave me in the bathroom by myself, if I'm sitting on a chair, he'll go back and forth between resting his head on my knee and staring at me to random things that catch his interest and back. I don't see how he could get MORE affectionate. So we'll see if this is a stage and he gets a bit more independent again or if he's going to insist on being my second skin the rest of his life.


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## huntergreen (Jun 28, 2012)

no jax, i have they bonded at a young age and and stayed bonded. of course my rock and bentlly bonded to my wife. kyra bonded seeming instantly to my daughters.


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## Big Brown Eyes (Jan 11, 2015)

My little guy has never been a cuddler. He will come for his rough house play, and for head pats, scratches. He will also come and lie down next to the bed, (and if wife is not there, on the bed).

But he does not like to be held and cuddled. I do cuddle him more like the Yeti Monster and Bugs Bunny... you know... "I WILL HUG YOU AND KISS YOU AND CALL YOU BETSY" kind of a deal. But he will put up with it and try to escape. 

He is completely bonded to me, and gets jealous when wife comes for hugs and cuddles. He really doesn't take my wife that seriously. 

But when we go out, he will drag her jackets off the hangers and sleep on them. He used to do that with my jackets, but a couple of smacks soon corrected it. Also he knows not to mess with Daddy's sandals, but mommies home sandals are chew toys! He will often grab mommy's sandals right off her feet and run away (inviting a chase).

When I am gone, and wife is home, the pup will grab my sandals and sleep on them, or hold it close to himself (but not chew on them!).

I am not exactly the huggy, touchy feely types... and I feel my GSD picked this up from me. I like it when my wife comes for a tickle fight, the pup is there to protect me. 


As I write this, he is sleeping on the bed next to me and he just farted.

He had a ton of smoked salmon last night, and the fart really smells rank.... need to open a window. Ugh!


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

huntergreen said:


> no jax, i have they bonded at a young age and and stayed bonded. of course my rock and bentlly bonded to my wife. kyra bonded seeming instantly to my daughters.


Oh he's very bonded with me already. It just seems more so lately as he's maturing.


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## newlie (Feb 12, 2013)

I had to laugh at the comments about the bathroom, I can't remember the last time I got to go to the bathroom by myself. Newlie always follows me in and wedges himself between me and the wall. It's his opportunity for a scratch-fest starting with his ears, then his neck and working his way down to his chest, belly and butt. He even flops one front leg up so I can do his amrpit for lack of a better word. I, too, have to block Newlie out from coming in the bathroom when I am taking a shower. I leave the door partially open so he can see me but fix the door so he can't come in.


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## BeachLvr (Jul 17, 2013)

After a dozen German Shepherds over 60 years and all being male except one female I agree. My female is awesome BUT aloof, independent and stubborn while my males are biddable, affectionate and almost needy at times.


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## Ruger Monster (Jan 29, 2015)

I'm interested to see if Ruger does so as he matures. Right now he doesn't want to be close to anyone because he's always in full-on play mode it seems. I'd love for him to be a Mama's Boy  

My male cats are incredibly affectionate, and I've wondered if male dogs are similar with that.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

newlie said:


> I had to laugh at the comments about the bathroom, I can't remember the last time I got to go to the bathroom by myself.


It's not possible. I thought, with my kids raised and out of the house, I could pee in peace. Not possible. And if I do manage to get the door shut, they sit outside the door and dig at it. Where do they think I'm going?


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## Zeeva (Aug 10, 2010)

Jax08 said:


> It's not possible. I thought, with my kids raised and out of the house, I could pee in peace. Not possible. And if I do manage to get the door shut, they sit outside the door and dig at it. *Where do they think I'm going?*


Into that swishing hole that makes a ton of scary noises 

They have to protect/save you...just in case!


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## Jayfeather (Dec 28, 2014)

Koda has never really been very cuddly (I'm a bit upset about this, but I guess I can't force him). However, he follows me EVERYWHERE. The moment I get up, he will jump to his paws and see where I'm going. He does this with my parents too, but much more with me. I have definitely noticed that he's getting more affectionate. Sometimes he even comes up to me for a scratch behind the ears, something he didn't used to do. He's almost a year old, I guess the fact that he's calming down helps.


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## RZZNSTR (Jan 24, 2015)

Star began his bonding very early in his puppyhood. The one thing that he would do is when I would lay on the bed on my back to watch TV in the bedroom he would get on the bed with me and lay down and put his head on my chest and look right into my eyes. As soon as I put my arm down and across him he would close his eyes and go right to sleep. It was a very cool thing to experience. I miss him terribly!


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## shepk9 (Feb 15, 2015)

My 'Shep' is not an affectionate boy. He does not like being pet by anyone including me. He does however maintain eye contact with me within 5-8 ft. Where ever he is, his eyes are locked on me. Only exception is when he goes outside. However at nighttime when we go to bed, he turns to a sucky. I end up with a 110lb shepherd with his head on my shoulder, snuggled in tight. Growls at the wife when she comes over. He eventually leaves when he overheats or I kick him off the bed cause he overheated me.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Sometimes, they get more clingy/affectionate when they aren't feeling quite right, but that seems to be the same for males and females.


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## kelliewilson (Jan 1, 2015)

My boy hugs me. or atleast im taking it that way lol he will look at the ground have one paw next to me and push his head into my chest or shoulder, and stays like that for a minute or 2


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Seger has always done that. If I'm on the floor, he pushes his head into me. If I'm in bed and he thinks it's time to wake up, he lowers his head like a bull and pushes right into my face.


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## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

I see no difference. I've had 2 males and 2 females. The only thing so far with my newest, is when I wake up in the morning. She takes as long to wake up as I do. Yawnin' an' Yowlin' an' stretchin' (the both of us). She can wag her tail after all that, but I can't very much anymore. lol


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## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

I had a GSD/Wolf. Amazing friend. One morning, he just grasped my eyelashes on one eye and lifted to get me to wake up one morning.

Freaked me out! Still don't know how he did that.


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## RocketDog (Sep 25, 2011)

Jax08 said:


> It's not possible. I thought, with my kids raised and out of the house, I could pee in peace. Not possible. And if I do manage to get the door shut, they sit outside the door and dig at it. Where do they think I'm going?



They think you're going out the window, even if there isn't one. Humans are magic!


Rocket got more affectionate as he matured. In the beginning I thought I'd gotten a pup that would never be a 'velcro' dog. Oh he was 'mine', but it's gotten deeper as he's matured. Or maybe it's just time in general. He likes to stick his head into my stomach, and I hear you on the bonk in the eye thing in the morning.


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## Msmaria (Mar 2, 2013)

Both of males are always stuck up my butt. I can't go to the bathroom or kitchen to get a cup of coffee without them both right behind me. Right now one of my males and females are sick. The female likes her bed in the corner, while I have to lay on the floor with the male so he can lay his head on any part of me. My female has always been much more independent.


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