Does my dog not like me?

[kev122573]

This may be an odd question or just being paranoid. I have a 9mo old English Bulldog. I've had her for 5 months now. She is a sweet girl. She loves playing with other dogs and loves people. Gives everyone lots of kisses and is excited about anyone who she meets. BUT, with me she is different. She sleeps on the couch close to me but moves away if I pet her for more than a minute. She sleeps on my bed only if I put her there and every time I tried cuddling with her, she walks away to her crate or moves her butt towards me (which I think is a good thing because she trusts me, right?). When I play with her, she's all excited but the rest of the time, she seems indifferent. She does follow me everywhere in my place and she does give me a kiss or two when I pick her up from camp or come home. Am I doing something wrong? I've seen some bullies all over their owners and very affectionate. Maybe I am just being paranoid. Any thoughts?

 

[cali~jenn]

That is interesting. First thing is that every dog is completely different than the next so you cant compare exactly. I am by far no expert here but I do know that dogs dont know how to not love for the most part. I mean look at the abused pups out there who still try and just love their abusers. I would guess that your girl is just not as cuddly as the rest are. The fact that you are asking the question tells me you are loving her enough and doing what you can to make her happy. Anyone who didnt care wouldn't be here. I wouldn't stress over it, just accept her the way she is and know that she loves you even if it isnt the way you expect. You say you have had her for 5 months, who had her the first 4? Maybe there is some kind of issue with her from the previous owner?

By the way, welcome to the boards! We need pics please.

 

[Momma2Bullet]

i'm not sure how "snuggly" you expect her to be. my Bullet, i can hold him and snuggle him but he usually gets up and turns a different way about every 3-5 min. lol i think in general bulldogs bodies are not the most relaxed and comfortable. atleast that is my opinion. could it be her attention span too? i know Bullet gets so distracted with every noise or movement in our home.

i can't believe she doesn't like you. i would think she wouldn't be near you at all in that case. does she ever growl when you are in contact with her? maybe try massaging her or find other special routines to do that she might like?!?! hopefully someone else from here can give more insight.

 

[Mike Blaylock]

Weeeeeeeeeell, it took Duke (or me) a good year before we completely bonded. Duke is an Alpha dog and so am I. Soooooo, I gotta have my A-game on because Duke exspects it from me to make his needs met in his life. In other words he depends on me to tell him what to do, when to play, when to sleep, yahda-yahda etc. So you wonder who trained who? Anyways.........he's use to me.......I'm old news........soooooooo, he never is the lovey dovey dog except when we play. In general...... he's my coma-toast, lazy shadow.........letting me know at a distance that he loves me. Which suits this old man fine. He will get on the couch and lay next to me (farting) while I watch TV. Seldom does he ever put his head in my lap or actually watch the TV with me. At night....about half the time he sleeps in his bed on the floor. The other half he'll climb the steps I made for him and climb into my bed immediately trying to take over the whole bed. Soooooooo, keep your Alpha game on, enjoy the distant company.......and know your being loved from a far.

 

[TessaAndSamson]

Some dogs, even of the same breed, are just less affectionate than others. I'm sure she loves you very much. And she is still young, they get more cuddly as they get older.

 

[cadillactaste]

It maybe that your dog doesn't liked "cuddled"...doesn't mean she doesn't love you. You described my Sarge...he's 5 yrs. old now...though he's never been enthusiastic greeting ones. He LOVES kids. And will greet people he knows...then is happy to leave the area. He has grown into laying on my lap...He's my shadow...He won't go to bed until I'm physically in bed. And he'll cry and get vocal if I'm not in bed and he's tired at night. He loves me...hands down. He just don't like me invading his space. He's never growled or shown aggression toward me or any other person. You can wake him from a dead sleep and he's ready to wrestle...But...don't even THINK about giving him a hug or he's SOOOOO out a here! I must say...Sarge has grown into being more affectionate...as he's gotten older. But he's still not much on cuddling.

I am sure others if they attempted to become a couch potato with her and attempt to get in her comfort zone she would react as she is with you...don't worry about it. And don't take it personal...hands down my Sarge loves me...everyone in the house says he's "my dog"... As your bullie grows older you will see tendencies where she's favoring you...or doing something where she finds comfort from you...in her own way. For the longest time...Sarge refused to be even a lap dog...just wanted to sit at my feet as a puppy. But he's grown into a lap dog...on his own. Just let it fall into place...it will eventually.

 

[bullmama]

I have 5 bulldogs, and I know they all love me. But only 2 of them are even the slightest bit cuddly, the other 3 want their space or just wnat to play with me. But when I am standing, they seem to love me more than when I am sitting. Like you said, following me even if they are in a dead sleep.

I think Mike said it best- "know you are being loved from a far"

 

[Alice Kable]

That is so true, [MENTION=574]TessaAndSamson[/MENTION], they get more affectionate as they grow older. Also, if she lived with the breeder mostly in a kennel before you got her she probably wasn't exposed to much affection.

 

[Angelgirl]

My bully is young yet. She'll be 4 months old on the 6th. Not in the least bit cuddly except in the mornings when she wakes up..that lasts for about 1 minute. My last bully started out being my husbands dog. She wanted nothing to do with me except to feed her and let her out when she wanted to go.When my Dad passed away everything changed and she was all over me from then on to her last day. I think with some dogs it comes with age. Others it just isn't in their nature to be a cuddle bug. I know how you feel though.. I sometimes wonder if the new puppy will ever be a snuggler or want me to hold her.

 

[kazzy220]

I so desperately wanted Maggie to be a little cuddle-bug because every essence of me wants to hug, kiss, smooch and squidge that little bundle ... and yet we are often "tolerated" for the most part. However, like many other posters on here ... if I am up and wandering around she will follow me from room to room, if I am sat watching TV she will go and sit on the other end. UNLESS of course she's cold and then she'll come closer. I do get greeted at the door, and when I call her name she will run up to me with a big smiley face and then bee-lines straight past me so I'm stood there like an idiot with my arms wide open. I know for sure she does that on purpose ....


Now just wait until we have the washer repair man round, or the two guys who come to intall the dishwasher, or the guy who came to mend the fence and then you would have thought that they were her savior, her hero, the greatest person god ever put on this earth . Maggie is ALL OVER THEM . I swear she bats her eyelids and pouts a little ... such a tart!!

So you are not on your own ..... I don't think your bully hates you I think she is just being a bully. AND as soon as you accept your lowly position in life as her personal slave to the queen of your household then all will be good!!!

Daddy is our most recent bully ... he is 7 months old now and he IS the cuddle-bug we wanted ... sometimes too much of a cuddle-bug .... so just shows how different their personalities are!!!

 

[sheila]

aww, that sounds sad i'm sure you're okay though. i agree with what [MENTION=390]cali~jenn[/MENTION] said about who had her the first four months of her life. that could be a big part of it. she could have had a bad experience with a person with a similar voice to you, or scent. it's hard to say. i adopted butler, and he is somewhere around 3 yrs old, i don't know anything about his past besides being in a couple homes before being abandoned. i have had him since june of 2010 and he is just now really getting his confidence and trust built up. it is great to see him like he is now. he's not scared of everything anymore, he doesn't always wince like i'm going to hit him, and he rolls over onto his side for belly rubs and naps. he NEVER used to expose his tummy before and i love that he feels safe and comfortable enough to do so.

i would just say to give your baby her space, and show her affection when she comes to you for it. she will eventually come around and as she ages she will likely become more cuddly. but like other members said, she may just not be a big cuddler.

i'm sure she loves you though! bullies are so devoted to their humans

 

[kev122573]

Thank you all for your replies, makes me feel sooo much better. I am planning to get her a brother soon so I wanted to make sure I wasn't doing anything wrong. I am so happy I found this forum. Thanks again!!!!!!

 

[Biogirl71]

I don't think you have to worry! We know our bully Frank loves us but he definitely likes his space!! Sometimes he will move away from us to sleep and if we try to go over and cuddle or pet him, he wakes up, gives us this "look" and moves away!! But then other times he is a cuddle bug and we can't move him away from us. Your bully is adorable, by the way!

 

[Luvin My Bullie]

Chaos is only 10 wks old and he is not cuddly either, only when he felt so bad from his ear infections

 

[kazzy220]

Thank you all for your replies, makes me feel sooo much better. I am planning to get her a brother soon so I wanted to make sure I wasn't doing anything wrong. I am so happy I found this forum. Thanks again!!!!!!

[MENTION=1927]kev122573[/MENTION] Welcome to EBN and I love your picture .... Tipsy is such a cute name and such a cute bully!!!