Do you have a favorite?

[amberdyan]

I only have one dog right now, so Hugo. But no dog will ever replace the bond I had with my 1st dog, Princess. If I had them both right now, she'd still be my favorite. That being said, Hugo is the 1st dog I've since I got more experience working with dogs and understanding behavior and training better and my bond with him is much stronger than I expected to be. It's getting stronger the longer we work together <3

 

[Paviche]

It's obvious, but Rowan is my favorite. He is my heart and soul and has been since the minute he came into my life. He is completely perfect, even in his imperfections.

I love Riff to death, but he can be very trying. He is a much more difficult dog than I intended to sign up for, and there have been a lot of tears to get us to where we are now. He's my little buddy and I'll do anything for him, but I'll never seek out another dog like him.

Stitch is turning into a Good Boy, but he's still very much a puppy, and we have a lot of bonding still to do. Only time will tell what our relationship will end up being like, but I'm looking forward to it.

 

[milos_mommy]

I wasn't going to answer this, but I'm bored so I will, lol.

Uh, neither? I live with two dogs, but only one is mine. I don't particularly "like" either of them. I like Milo a lot when I'm working with him 1 on 1. He came to work with me recently and did great and I realize he could be a great, if however unstable, dog in different (and unlikely) circumstances. I love him. And I like him sometimes. I don't think I ever like Benji, except when he does something so dumb it's funny. Basically, Milo is my favorite, but I also can't trust him at all, ever. And he's a lot easier to live with medicated, but I don't care for the personality change that comes with it. Or maybe he's just getting old and I miss his puppy antics, which lasted about 7 years.

I have a favorite, but it's also a puppy of a breed I chose whom I raised vs. my parent's 200% untrained dog of a breed I don't care for. So even if he's a massive jerk, I still like him more.

If I had a third im pretty sure that one would be my favorite. I hate to say it but the dogs I live with are kind of awful.

 

[PlottMom]

Daisy was always the favorite. Now that she's gone, it depends on the day who the favorite is. Dais left a big hole to fill and I'm just not sure any of these hooligans fit it quite right. I love them all dearly and they all fill very different needs as far as dogs go, but I'm not sure I can say I have a favorite anymore.

 

[Beanie]

Auggie is the favorite.
I love Payton very very very much. He is more my kind of dog; being young doesn't hurt either for the rough 'n tumble, healthy, up for anything (physically.)

But Auggie is the favorite.

Payton got in biiiig trouble the other night because Auggie accidentally sat on him in bed and Payton tried to start something. Payton immediately got banished to the floor. Then I moved the bed so Auggie could feel more comfortable. What Auggie wants, Auggie gets.

 

[JacksonsMom]

I can't officially answer this question because Jackson is technically my only dog. However Lola has turned into kind of my second dog as she is my parents and I live at home but they're not really "dog people" (why did they get a dog again?) so I end up really doing the bulk of her care.

I haven't worked as much with her training-wise as I should or I originally wanted to, but ya know what? She's a REALLY cool dog. I never ever thought the random female cockapoo my mom decided to buy from a breeder would be a good match for ME. She's so solid, she's friendly to every person and dog, she's not super obnoxious or difficult to deal with in the house, she has mega drive for toys AND food, she dives off the dock and into pools, she attempts to catch frisbees (still working on it), she's cuddly but not overbearing, she's not noise sensitive or has any major phobias. I mean really. She's kind of perfect. She's a little dumb sometimes LOL but she's got such a good heart. She's a really great dog for me. She's bonded to me quite well too which can be hard when my 7 year old sister sees it because she's "her dog" ya know? lol. That's another thing she is GREAT with my sister -- lets her play dress up and carry her around.

So anywho, even after all that, Jackson is my favorite, for obvious reasons. He's mine. lol. But also we just get each other. We have an unspoken communication between us and always have. He's got his quirks and he was a lot harder to raise than Lola has been, IMO, but I think maybe that's why we get each other more. And he's always tried sooo hard. He was never a natural at fetching, or diving, etc, but with a little bit of motivation, he will learn to love something. He's bombproof in public and I can take him anywhere. I just don't know if I'll ever have another dog like him.

 

[*blackrose]

Do I even need to say that it is Abrams?

Cynder is Michael's dog. So not only does she consider me a second class citizen...I haven't made much of an effort to bond with her beyond the "she's my family" factor. She's a good dog in her own right and I enjoy having her around. But she's not MY dog.

Abrams is the one I want to take places. He's who I cuddle with when I'm sad. He's who I miss when I'm gone. He's who I rely on for security. He's the asshat that makes me want to simultaneously pull my hair out and laugh all at the same time. (Sometimes just pull my hair out.) He's my rock. And I adore him. I don't know what I'd do without him.

 

[Equinox]

Kinda? It's a hard question to answer because here's the funny thing - if you asked anyone, it would seem like Siege is my favorite. She's treated like the favorite, goes more places with me, does more with me, and is on top of me all the time (literally). But my connection with Trent is deeper, we have a better understanding, and he's a lot more in tune to me. He recognizes all my cues and anticipates what I'll ask of him, and everything he does, he does with intention and deliberation. I think a big part of that is how hard and long we worked to build this relationship.

That said, I enjoy Siege more. For me, she is more fun, she is easier because of her drive and dependence, and she is intensely affectionate. She gets to go more places because she is more social than Trent and takes less management, not to mention more portable. She's also more reliable off leash (by a considerable amount).

Trent is like my partner in work and life, but Siege is like my feral little baby, working for me (and for herself) rather than with me. The bond I have with her is more loving, happy, fun, and sweet. The bond I have with Trent is based on a mutual respect we're still continuing to build and an understanding. Essentially... Siege needs me more than I need her, but I need Trent more than he needs me.

 

[lancerandrara]

I read through every post, because I creep on others' lives. 6__6

It is a weird answer. I would assume that most of anyone who knows me would guess Lancer these days, but that's not exactly the case.

STORY TIME.

Because Rara and I technically have a very tight bond- she's the puppy I brought home in high school, and she was "my dog" and I was "her main human" first and foremost all the way up until I entered college. Then I only came home about every other weekend. I know she felt like I abandoned her, and according to my mom, became deeply depressed and would barely eat or move for about two months... as if I passed away or something. Also was partially the origin of her stomach ulcers- because she wouldn't eat. She then moved on to choosing my mom as her "main person" and had an era of acting angry at me/intentionally ignoring me whenever I came home for quite awhile. And whenever I said goodbye to her at the end of each weekend in "the permanent goodbye" kind of way, she would refuse to look at me or touch me and would run to hide in her safe spot. At one point, I thought she was just a dog with loose loyalty, but now I understand that it's not really the case either. She's just a very complex dog.
It literally took her about... three years? To finally "accept" the fact that I DON'T live at home anymore, and I will only be coming back every weekend or every other weekend. And since, she's only recently began expressing that tight bond again that we had before I left for college, even though she still mainly follows my mom around the house out of habit. She doesn't get angry at me or became depressed every time I leave each weekend back to my apartment.

Rara is just a very complex dog with apparently INTENSE loyalty, long-term grudges, and a lot of emotions.

Lancer on the other hand is just funny. I brought him home as a puppy WHILE I was already at Calarts, so he was never sad about it- me coming home once a month for only a couple days was routine for him. I trick-trained him and did all that jazz, but I saw him so rarely- I was surprised he still chose me as his "main person". (I keep using this weird term; I don't know what the proper way to describe it is LOL) But then he's also an easy dog in the way that if we leave him at a sitter's house or a friend's house for a few days, he is perfectly happy living there for the rest of his life as long as he gets to play ball and eat food and chill out. Kind of underwhelming, but he is just that easygoing. But his drive, herding dog focus, and craziness and willingness to learn and work with me clicks very well with what I genuinely appreciate in a dog... which are aspects that Rara doesn't have. But then Rara has a LOT of aspects in terms of loyalty and an extreme sense of family that Lancer definitely does not have.

That was the longest story in the world.
So... I don't know! Who to choose! It is hard! My dog situations and temperaments are opposites!

 

[JacksonsMom]

Essentially... Siege needs me more than I need her, but I need Trent more than he needs me.

I like this way of putting it. In my case, Jackson and I need each other equally, whereas Lola needs me more than I need her, kind of. That sounds kind of harsh because I love her, I really do, but I could "do" life without Lola... I couldn't without Jackson. Obviously Lola's here for life now and I love love love her very dearly and if my parents for some reason ever couldn't keep her, I would take her in a heartbeat, but yeah.

 

[DogKisses]

Lacey. She is just the PERFECT dog for me. Her only issue is loud noises/thunder.

Nora is a really awesome do anything dog too. Nikko (Husky) is the little annoying brother in our family, but we still love him lol!

My boyfriend greatly favors Nikko. Nora claims my boyfriend as her own, she always prefers men over women though lol. Idk who his second favorite is...

 

[Equinox]

I like this way of putting it. In my case, Jackson and I need each other equally, whereas Lola needs me more than I need her, kind of. That sounds kind of harsh because I love her, I really do, but I could "do" life without Lola... I couldn't without Jackson. Obviously Lola's here for life now and I love love love her very dearly and if my parents for some reason ever couldn't keep her, I would take her in a heartbeat, but yeah.

I don't think it sounds harsh, and very much get where you're coming from. But on that note I want to clarify what I meant - Siege isn't a dog I need, but she's very much the dog I want (possibly moreso than Trent objectively).

It's hard to expand on how I feel without humanizing dogs to the extreme, but for me and these two, it's like Siege is my child, while Trent is my partner and my guardian (not literal examples, just the best way I could explain it). I feel protective over Siege, but never have towards Trent because he's the one that's protective of me, and so independently minded.

I can't imagine life without either of them, because their loss would devastate me in different ways. Siege would take away a huge part of my life and my heart, and Trent would take away a huge part of me and all that we've built together. Siege is a bigger presence in my life because we're inseparable, but Trent has a bigger presence in who I am.

Because Rara and I technically have a very tight bond- she's the puppy I brought home in high school, and she was "my dog" and I was "her main human" first and foremost all the way up until I entered college. Then I only came home about every other weekend. I know she felt like I abandoned her, and according to my mom, became deeply depressed and would barely eat or move for about two months... as if I passed away or something. Also was partially the origin of her stomach ulcers- because she wouldn't eat. She then moved on to choosing my mom as her "main person" and had an era of acting angry at me/intentionally ignoring me whenever I came home for quite awhile. And whenever I said goodbye to her at the end of each weekend in "the permanent goodbye" kind of way, she would refuse to look at me or touch me and would run to hide in her safe spot. At one point, I thought she was just a dog with loose loyalty, but now I understand that it's not really the case either. She's just a very complex dog.
It literally took her about... three years? To finally "accept" the fact that I DON'T live at home anymore, and I will only be coming back every weekend or every other weekend. And since, she's only recently began expressing that tight bond again that we had before I left for college, even though she still mainly follows my mom around the house out of habit. She doesn't get angry at me or became depressed every time I leave each weekend back to my apartment.

Rara is just a very complex dog with apparently INTENSE loyalty, long-term grudges, and a lot of emotions.

LOL My mom would like to switch dogs with your mom please. Trent is the opposite and it drives her crazy - I brought him home at the end of my sophomore year of high school, and it took us a couple years to really bond and figure each other out.

Then I had to leave for college and my mom was the one feeding, walking, playing, and all around spoiling him. I'd only get to visit every month or so, but OMG the excitement every time I come home. Except that also included him being terrible to my mom every time I was around (mostly guardy behaviors that we've worked on). I was always worried that he'd forget me or that things would change, but he remained my dog completely and my mom started resenting me (jokingly, of course) when I came home. And that's when I realized where I stood in her mind :rofl1:

Ironically, he never cared when I left...

 

[Ozfozz]

Soo I could pretty much take Julee's answer and change the dog names.

Cobain is perfect. Nothing he does could ever be wrong and he can live forever and ever.

Rigby is special. I love my little nutcase and get overly emotional when she displays a new "happy" behaviour, but yes very different from the relationship I have with Cobain.

Oz is my mom's dog and has been here for half of my life, I will always have a soft spot for him. Even though he's deaf, going blind, and smells.

Ruby, Ruby is basically the worst combination of traits that a Border Jack could be. I was excited for a tenacious intelligent drivey dog. Nope. Soft, growly, and more of a cat than a dog. She's nice enough most of the time, but she's just really not my dog.

 

[Laurelin]

It is so funny listening to everyone talk about how their favorite is the one that fits them the best and fits what they want in a dog. That is totally not the case with me. Mia definitely objectively fits me the worst but she's the favorite.

I will say I am finally starting to feel a real bond with Hank. I've always liked him a lot but the bond hasn't been the easiest.

 

[Jadex]

Both of mine are the worst, but I just have to pick the lesser or two evils. Haha

 

[Liminal]

I only have one dog, so I can't give a valid answer... but I admit I'm almost afraid of getting another dog too soon because of the chance that I will play favorites in a way that's genuinely unfair. (Take the easier dog everywhere and benignly neglect the other, etc.)

It's kind of exacerbated by the fact that my bond with my current dog also has not been totally easy. He's more difficult in some ways than I'd hope a next dog would be (somewhat less focused and more easily overstimulated than is ideal) and not terribly demonstrative in the usual ways - I can be gone a week and when I get back he just looks at me like "oh hey, didn't see you come in." I mean, I think he likes me... but sometimes I wonder. So there is the worry for me that if I get another dog I will just appreciate him less somehow, which I don't want to happen.

I might like oooooooooooone more, but for all of my daydreaming I think I will definitely have to be secure in my relationship with the current dog before trying to go get another because I'm not that expansively loving by nature and I just don't trust myself not to hyperfocus on one hypothetical dog to the other's detriment.

 

[Beanie]

Oh, just because I have a favorite doesn't mean I play favorites. Auggie and Payton are both good at different things so they get to do different things. Payton is too loud and rambunctious so he doesn't get to go to my friend's house. Auggie is too old and fragile so he doesn't get to go for seven mile hikes in the woods.

You and I are the same Laur. Payton is more the kind of dog I want and a better sports dog (overarousal issues be damned) but Auggie is still the favorite. Payton will snuggle and love with me and Auggie only barely tolerates snuggling sometimes but Auggie is still the favorite LOL. It's something that goes beyond my preferences in a dog, for me it's something deeper, something in the heart. I can't explain it. He is just everything. I have said it before, even though Payton is the better sport dog and more of what I want (general activity partner) if I could only have one dog over and over again it would be Auggie.

 

[FG167]

Kastle is my favorite (against all odds, because he's a disaster), Limit is DH's favorite. Eden is everyone else that knows my dogs' favorite.

 

[Laurelin]

Oh Hank is definitely everyone other than me's favorite. Family, friends, dog friends, etc. He's a charmer.

 

[Linds]

I've tried to answer this question a few times and haven't been able to.

Out of my three dogs, since I'm not going to count Fergus in this, I honestly don't think I have a favorite. I really don't.

Hiccup and I aren't as bonded as I am to the other two yet, but he's a baby so I expect that.

Between Didgie and Traveler though, I really couldn't pick one. I enjoy doing different things with both of them, I end up flipping a coin or keeping a running tally of who went where when I am going to have to just pick one to come with me to something they both would enjoy equally because it's so hard to choose.

The only thing that might put Traveler a smidge in the lead is that he's my boy. And boy dogs just seem to need you more. Or at least this boy dog does.


But yeah, I think they are all my favorites.

ETA: As far as my family, my sister loves Traveler the best, my parents don't understand why anyone would want a Koolie ever and pick Fergus even if he's not in the running.