When did your dog become "your" dog

[Toller_08]

It took a few months with Dance. I loved her immediately, but it wasn't until Tango passed that I bonded a lot more with Dance.

With Ripley it was pretty instant, and that's why we have him. We did not want another dog at the time really, but I took care of him and his littermates for much of their time with their breeder, and I fell for him and so did my mom.

And Keira was never intended to be mine. She was the family dog/my mom's dog. But I'm really, really enjoying her now that she's a little older. As a puppy, she caused a lot of frustration for everyone and while I loved her, there were many days I didn't actually like her. She created chaos. But she's an awesome dog now that she's found her brain and she and I have been bonding a lot more and I am discovering just how truly good she is (for me). So much so that I think I might turn her into my sport dog. She's unflappable in public, is friendly and relaxed with people and dogs alike, and she's developing a focus she never used to have at all. I'm really enjoying her a lot and she's becoming my go to dog for everything, so I'd really like to start working with her more and taking some different classes and such to use her new found brain and develop a better relationship with her. I wish she liked to play more with people/had more play drive period, but other than that and as weird as it is for me to say, she's grown into pretty much everything I have ever wanted in a dog.

[Shai]

Depends on the dog.

Kim I adored pretty instantly. I mean come on those liquid brown eyes, those big tipped ears, the pretty gold... I'd say we really a few months later when she started to really trust me to be her partner in life.

Webby took a month or so because I really became attached to him -- when I took him on a trip to see family and didn't take Kim. Gave me a chance to appreciate him for who he was, not who he was relative to Kim . It took much longer to convince him that I was a person of more than passing interest though lol.

Mira pretty much walked into my life, declared "You are mine and I am yours", and never looked back. I adored her immediately as well but it took me a couple months to really bond to her and get used to the very different expressions of a black dog with drop ears and a very different facial structure. But when she was a couple months old something clicked and I fell hard

[Zhucca]

I've always liked Duke since he was a wee pup. I got him at 7 months and I almost regretted it a bit because he didn't turn out to be the type of dog I thought I wanted. He's lower energy (lazy as all get up), didn't play with toys, and a bunch of little other things. It wasn't until he was a little over a year where I realized how awesome he is. He's one of the best dogs ever. I think my problem was always comparing him to McGruff. They're pretty much polar opposites and it was setting him up for failure. Now I realize all of the positive things he has going for him and I love him very much.

Duke attached to me right away. From the first night he slept in my house he was mine. His owner at that time came the second day I had him to take him to his vet appointment (he had demodex mange at the time) and when she brought him back he was practically wiggling out of his skin to see me again. I joke that I'm his fourth favourite (He likes Boomer, Dean, my friend Erin, then me) but it's really not true since I'm his world.

[misfitz]

LOL, Sienna knew she was my dog before I even did. I pulled her out of the shelter to "rescue" her (I wasn't even fostering her, someone else was.) She tried to follow me home from the foster's house. Everyone I showed her to told me, "Boy, that dog sure loves you!" I know when I'm beat. I'm so, so glad she stayed, though, she's changed my life.

Probably I knew the moment I saw her, though. We were at an adoption event at a park, and I saw her and had a vision of her being put to sleep and a voice (that I don't think was my own) told me "No. You can't let that happen." I volunteered at the shelter for a year or two after that - it's never happenned to me with another dog before or since her, so I think we were destined for each other. If that's not too cheesy.

[puppydog]

Lilly. It was instant.

Ben. Instant. And I fell for him HARD.

Travis. About a year. I was angry that he wasn't Ben. I got him too soon. But now I adore him. He is Mommies Boy all the way through.

Riley. She is Pauls dog, but I adore her and she loves me.

[Tortilla]

With Sally it was pretty fast (but then again, I was only eight). We were on the way home from the breeder's and she curled up on my lap and fell asleep. At one point I asked my mum if I could feed the puppy a french fry because she was probably pretty hungry. My mum said I could. And it was instant.

Seamus took AGES. Holy crap he was a terror! I'd say it took a good year or so, I can't actually remember a defining moment. But now we've figured each other out and he's my baby. He's a super momma's boy.