How do dogs choose who to cuddle with?
Lavonne Hand
2025-06-21 15:28:11
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Sometimes, a seemingly unwarranted affection between a dog and a person is simply a meeting of the minds. If a couple gets a dog, you may find that there’s a wired-in attraction to the one partner who has a similar temperament as the dog, whether that be laidback, hyper, or in-between. Dogs can learn who’s the dutiful parent who says “no” for their own good, and who’s the fun one who lets them break the rules. There’s a good chance your dog will want to snuggle up to the one who allows them to jump on the soft, warm couch, rather than the one who makes them lie down on the vet’s cold table. Dogs have notoriously good senses of smell, they can and do develop antipathies to people based on their odors. A partner who smells delightful to a dog — whether it’s because of pheromones, food, or other animals — has an excellent chance of being loved unconditionally. If one person spends more time at home with the dog, naturally the dog will want to see and spend time with the other partner, too. When the absent partner rewards that behavior by handing out treats upon return, reinforcement and hardwiring occurs.
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