Have you ever wondered why your beloved dog prefers your husband over you? It doesn’t matter whether you feed, groom, or bathe him. Some dogs just do, and it’s a fact.
Actually, why does your dog prefer your husband over you?
Your dog may like your husband over you due to: resource guarding, learned behaviors, respect for the pack leader and he is its favorite person, stress, anxiety, obsession, the dog is used to you, dogs can understand physical and emotional changes in humans or the dog is a one person breed.
We’re going to look into 11 different reasons why they would do that and several other tactics that will help you build a better bond between you and your dog.
Reasons Why Your Dog Likes Your Husband Over You
You may have raised your dog since it was a tiny puppy, having trained, fed, traveled with, and loved the dog like a warm-hearted mother.
If so, I’m sure it drives you nuts if the dog prefers your boyfriend or husband over you!
To be honest with you, there is nothing wrong with feeling that way. But it’s worth being aware of the reasons for what’s happening and a few ways to have the bond between you and the dog thrive.
1. Your Dog Sees Your Husband As Its Pack Leader
This factor is a major reason why some dogs exhibit such behavior. Since the canines are pack animals, they need a pack leader or often referred to as “Alpha.”
We know that the women’s voice is calm and sweet, while men have a deeper and louder voice. This fact is still true when we distinguish the temperament of males and females.
So, the point here is that your dog sees the husband/ boyfriend as its pack leader while accepting other family members as part of its pack.
If we think from the dog’s perspective, the dog may find your spouse as the one who has more authority in the family. So, they would like to crown your partner as their pack leader by offering submissive enjoyable enthusiasm to your partner.
Think about this a little bit. Is your boyfriend/ husband the most dominant member of your family?
But, understand the point here. There is nothing personal going on here, and the dog still loves you.
2. Due To Obsession
If your canine friend is overly attached to your husband, the dog is likely in an obsession situation with your spouse.
Having a dog obsessed with a specific family member isn’t something acceptable, especially with a husband or wife.
If that is the situation you will face a lot of troubles down the line. If you are not sure what I mean, take a look at this article: 8 Reasons why my dog growls or barks at my wife.
If the dog is obsessed with your husband, the following signs can be expected.
- The dog follows him everywhere
- The dog loves to sit in the same room as your husband
- Aggressive behavior toward you whenever you try to hug your husband
- Tends to sleep in between both of you
- Crying when your husband goes out, even for 5 minutes
- When he returns home, it won’t leave his side unless he forces the dog away
3. Some Sort Of Learned Behavior
Learned behavior can hugely influence a dog to perform a specific task. Your loving pooch may prefer your husband/ boyfriend due to some sort of learned behavior from him.
I would like to explain this with a practical example rather than using scientific terms.
Let’s say that your spouse used to offer a yummy puppy treat whenever he returns home after work. The dog will be extremely excited precisely at that time.
Next what?
When he does this over and over again for several days in a row, that’s become a learned behavior to your dog, and the dog is looking forewords to that even happening as it feels like the husband/ boyfriend returns home.
In general, learned behaviors can be divided into four parts.
In operant conditioning: If a dog learns or understands to perform a specific behavior or action resulting from punishment or reward, this belongs to operant conditioning. For example, If you need your dog to sit up, you have to tighten his collar and pull the leash up.
Imprinting: This learned behavior can happen during the puppyhood of a dog, especially during the first 3-7 weeks. In this period, your dog learns few essential things from mom-dog and siblings. For example, calm behavior, snuggling, cuddling.
Habituation: This is a specific learned behavior that occurs due to repeated stimulation, and the dog tends to stop responding to that stimulation over time. For example, Although a dog panics when the door suddenly closes, they can be used to that and forget about that when it occurs repeatedly.
In classical conditioning: This learning behavior occurs when your dog gets involved with things. The main example under this section is one of the greatest examples of this. The dog knows your arrival means a yummy treat time!
4. Resource Guarding Your Husband
Some dogs may become overly attached to a specific person due to resource guarding issues. Although dogs tend to resource guard things what they belong to, they also can be a person!
Here is a list of items that a dog may use for resource guarding.
- Treats
- Rawhide
- Bones the dog has used to chew on
- Food
- Bed
- Another dog or cat
- A person
Again, closely observe whether the dog is following your husband everywhere. It can be to the bathroom, living room, kitchen, backyard, or anywhere.
If the dog does that, it’s kind of unusual behavior, or also we can define that the dog is resource guarding your spouse!
In general, a dog with a resource guarding issue on a specific person tends to exhibit a few other signs too!
Here are some of them.
- Steal things
- Occasional fearfulness
- Leash reactive
- Irritating behavior when moving
- Gobble up food when someone approaches
- Doesn’t like when things are dropped
- Taking an item and moving away
- Braced body position over the husband
- Staring hard
- Frequently growling
- Bearing teeth and rising lips when someone approaches its belongings
If resource guarding is the leading cause to your dog liking your husband over you, this abnormal behavior should be addressed promptly.
But, just be aware that this process is time-consuming, and you need your unconditional support with great patience.
But, don’t regret it. We’re going to discuss precisely what you should do under the solutions section. But for now, let’s head over to the following reason.
5. Dogs Also Have A Favorite Person
As human beings, we all have a favorite person in our minds. There is not much difference when it comes to dog canines.
So, in this case, the dog may prefer your husband/boyfriend over you because, in many cases, dogs would like to see the pack leader as their favorite person.
Another possible reason why the dog finds your spouse as its favorite person is that the temperaments of the two of them are very similar, making unwarranted affection or bond.
Moreover, here are a few factors that determine the dog’s favorite person.
- The one who gives the most attention and affection
- The person who socialized in their puppyhood
- Similar temperaments and personalities
- Spending quality time with the dog
- Positive association
- The breed
You know what, frankly, there is nothing wrong with this situation. Actually, you should be glad to have a husband/boyfriend that can attract your four-legged friend too.
But, as I mentioned earlier, you can do a few things to thrive the bond between both of you. Stick to the end, then you can find those tactics.
6. Maybe Your Dog Is Used To You!
Frankly, this is something you cannot control. In fact, you shouldn’t worry about this.
As the owner, you are the person who cares about him and spends most of your time with him. Chances are, the dog is used to you.
For instance, think about this. Now you have a husband, and you really love him. Does that mean you don’t like your mom or dad? Not really, right?
I guess you get my point.
7. The Dog Is A One-Person Dog.
Some dogs like to have a strong bond with only one person in the family. Check if your dog’s breed is listed below.
- Beagle
- Collie
- Sheltie
- French Bulldog
- GSD
- Lab
- Golden Retriever
- Saint Bernard
- Brittany
- Boxer
- Irish Wolfhound
- Great Dane
- English Bulldog
- Pitbull
- Dachshund
- Yorkies
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
- Chihuahua
- Shih Tzu
- Akita
- Doberman
8. Some Breeds Can Understand Either Physical Or Emotional Changes In People
You would be surprised if you were told that dogs can feel humans’ emotional and physical changes. Obesely, this sense largely depends on the dog.
But in general, almost every dog can feel this up to some extend.
Some breeds have mastered this subject, and they can figure out our physical and emotional changes through our facial expressions, behavior.
Here are a few of them.
- Rottweiler
- Labrador Retriever
- Staffordshire bull terrier
- Brussels Griffon
- Doberman pinscher
- Dogue de Bordeaux
- Chihuahua
- Great Dane
- English Bulldog
- Affenpinscher
- Irish Wolfhound
- Brussels Griffon
- English Bulldog
- Cavalier kind Charles spaniel
- Australian shepherd
- American pit bull terrier
- Border collie
- Golden retriever
If you found that the dog is overly attached to the husband/befriend suddenly, something went wrong. I mean, check if there any psychological issue in your spouse.
Moreover, it’s better to meet a doctor in order to ensure the spouse is thrilled and healthy.
9. Your Husband Treats The Dog Well
If you observe that your dog likes your husband over you, chances are your spouse treats your dog well in many ways. It can be actually treated, spending time, playing, go on walks.
Don’t be sad if this turns out to be the case – frankly, you should be glad as there is someone to look after at your four-legged furry friend, even in your absence.
10. Due To Anxiety
Sometimes, a dog can get overly attached to a particular person as a result of anxiety. So, dogs that suffer from anxiety are more inclined to exhibit the following signs.
- Digging
- destruction
- Defecating
- Escaping behavior
- Balking and howling
- Urinating
- pacing
- Destructive chewing
If so, for some reason, your dog is prone to anxiety. The most common causes may be:
- Rescue dogs tend to show anxiety
- Loneliness
- Medical issues
- Boredom
- Left alone for a long time
- Change of residence
Here are the breeds that are prone to separation anxiety.
- King Charles Spaniel
- Shorthair Pointer
- Bichon Frise
- Greyhounds
- Cocker Spaniel
- Labrador Retriever
- Some toy breeds
- German shepherd
- Australian Shepherd
- Vizsla
- Border Collie
- Havanese
11. Because Of Stress
If your dog is suffering from stress for some reason, it may also be a reason for your dog to be overly attached to your husband/boyfriend.
If a dog is prone to stress, the following signs can be expected.
- Escaping behavior
- Panting
- Shaking and pacing
- Barking and whining
- Excessive licking
- Yawning
- Hiding
- Escaping behavior
In fact, the most common reasons can be:
- Separation
- If a family member away from home for a long time
- When left alone for a long time
- Traveling in a car
- Change of residence
- Loud noises
What Can You Do To Improve The Bond Between You And Your Dog If It Prefers Your Husband Over You?
As we discussed under reasons, both normal and abnormal reasons can influence your dog’s behavior.
With regards to normal reasons, you don’t want to do anything or even worry about it.
But when it comes to odd reasons like obsession, anxiety, stress, due to physical or emotional change in your spouse, or any other unusual case, It’s imperative to take necessary actions in order to solve them.
Here are some proven methods to improve the bond between you and the dog.
- Train the dog
- Be playful with the dog
- Communicate clearly with the dog
- Spend some quality time
- Stimulate your dog’s brain
- Understand the likes and dislikes of the dog
- Release its anxiety and stress
- Physically touch the dog
1. Train The Dog
If you find that the dog is overly attached to your husband more than you, even if it’s not necessarily something to worry about, doing something to improve the bond between you and the dog is crucial.
So, I highly suggest teaching your dog new tricks and commands, but remember, this type of training should be entertaining, be something you enjoy doing, and more importantly, keep in mind that you want the dog to do with you – not your husband.
Here are several trainings you can give a shot.
- Rally
- Agility training
- Field events
- Lure coursing
2. Be Playful With The Dog
It’s much easier to develop the bond between you and the dog by involving in different types of games during your leisure time.
Here are several games that I can suggest to you.
- Frisbee toss
- Treat dispensing toys
- Fetch
- Casual agility
- Hide and seek
- Treat dispensing toys
- Retrieval games
3. Communicate Clearly With The Dog
Ensure to communicate with the dog more precisely and carefully. For instance, you and the husband/boyfriend shouldn’t be using different commands to perform various tasks.
4. Spend Some Quality Time Together
Spending some quality time with your lovely four-legged furry friends is another great way to improve the bond between you and your canine friend.
You can go for a walk, play a little in the backyard when you have free time.
5. Stimulate Your Dog’s Mind
A dog’s mind needs stimulation in order to perform well in day-to-day tasks. By helping him with that, the dog will attach with you too!
Here are a few suggestions.
- Provide puzzle treats
- Give raw bones
- Consider getting another dog
- Provide adequate exercises on a daily basis
6. Understand The Likes And Dislikes Of The Dog
It doesn’t matter what the breed is. Like humans, canines also have different likes and dislikes influenced by their personalities.
In general, canines are highly responsive to the following things:
- Foods
- Toys
- Games
If you use these preferences the right way, getting your dog’s attention is not that hard.
7. Release Its Anxiety And Stress
In order to relieve its stress and anxiety, I urge you to consider the following.
- Massage him
- Provide adequate exercises
- Make a daily routine
- Consider getting your dog a calming coat
- Soothe him by physical contact – cuddle him, play little indoor games with him
- Use music therapy techniques
- Chat with your veterinarian for insight
8. Physically Touch The Dog
You need to physically touch the dog.
That being said, it doesn’t mean just touch him. You should bathe him, groom him, and fulfill other needs on your own.
Things To Be Aware Of
Here are several things you need to be aware of.
Set aside some time. If you want your dog’s attention, it’s crucial to set aside some time just for the dog. Go on a long walk or hike. Of course, get your husband/boyfriend involved too.
Correct your mindset. You shouldn’t see this situation as “the dog is against me” It’s much better to look at this as “I have sufficient time to spend more, show all my love, and understand that my furry friend loves me as it used to do, I can respect that knowing that all animals are slightly more attached to one person than to another. That doesn’t mean my canine friend doesn’t love me, it means, he accepts my husband/boyfriend as part of its family, how lucky I am!” Moreover, there is no such thing as “My dog.” It’s now “our dog.” Hope you got my point.
Conclusion
I think it’s safe to say we all love our dogs, right? However, most wives are curious to know the answer to why your dog likes your husband over them. Well, this can happen due to both normal and abnormal reasons. In this comprehensive guide, we have discussed 11 different reasons that may influence this behavior. Hope you found it helpful!
