# Can goldens have a favourite person



## GoldenOwner12 (Jun 18, 2008)

Hi just wandering can golden retrievers have a favourite person? reason i ask is if my boyfriend is walking Shelley and i'm walking Einstein she keeps looking back at us. If Einstein and I get out of her sight she stops walking and waits till she sees us again. 
I'm finding it werid not yesterday but the day before my boyfriend took her for a 35 minutes walk he walks pretty fast within 15 minutes Shelley could hardly keep up with him. When she got home she dug a hole, But the werid thing is i walk slower then my bf but when i take her for an hour walk she won't dig many holes one in a bluemoon. 

I'm also thinking Shelley may have separation anxiety cause as soon as i go out anywhere without her she starts digging holes, She digs whenever no one is around her. I may be home most of the time as i don't work but i can't spend all my time with Shelley as i do have housework to be done. Since starting her on her diet she has only missed 3 days of exercise due to the weather eg raining.


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## Muddypaws (Apr 20, 2009)

I am also home all day and spend all my time (or almost all my time) with the dogs. I am also the one that trains and goes to class with them so I think there is a closer connection with me. 

I have noticed Kirby has more of a need to be next to me when we walk, Darby is fine with either DH or me but Kirby will look for me if she walks with Daddy.

As for the digging, that is usually a sign of boredom but she could be expressing her anxiety by digging after a walk with your bf. The next time you walk and she is with your bf, play a game of fetch when you return with Shelly (a little Shelly and Mommy time) and see if that doesn't help the digging. They are just as complicated as humans - maybe more so.


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## Sophie_Mom (Jan 21, 2009)

Sophie has many favorites!  She seems to "love" me the best, but my husband is her best friend and playmate. She also adores the kids. It's hard to figure out who she loves the most! When we are walking/hiking with her, she seems to "count" us. She'll go far enough ahead with the kids, etc. but she will turn around and wait for us to catch up. She keeps track of all of us, and usually is able to see all of us from where she is.


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## EvilNessCroft (Feb 17, 2009)

I think so! Molly loves everyone in my family but I think she loves me a little more! It's probably because I spend the most time with her; I feed her, walk her, groom her, train and play with her. She's like my shadow! If I walk away from a room she'll follow me or keep her eyes on me until I come back, she doesn't do that with anyone else!


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## maggiesmommy (Feb 23, 2010)

Sophie_Mom said:


> Sophie has many favorites!  She seems to "love" me the best, but my husband is her best friend and playmate. She also adores the kids. It's hard to figure out who she loves the most! When we are walking/hiking with her, she seems to "count" us. She'll go far enough ahead with the kids, etc. but she will turn around and wait for us to catch up. She keeps track of all of us, and usually is able to see all of us from where she is.



Maggie does that when DH and I walk her...he takes the leash and walks faster than me, so, every few minutes, Maggie stops and waits for me. Maggie loves to snuggle with me more and play with dh more, so, I can't really tell who her favorite is.


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

My childhood golden didn't have a favorite person - he loved everyone in the family the same which is why he was such a good "family" dog. The border collie we rescued, however, was very much a one-person dog; that person being my dad. 

Ranger definitely knows I'm his person but since i've been staying with my parents' for the last week, he's really attached himself to my dad. Animals just LOVE my dad and Ranger is no exception. So right now I think my dad and i are tied for first in Ranger's heart.


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## Bob-N-Tash (Feb 24, 2008)

Of course they can have favorites. 
Favorite people, favorite foods, favorite activities, favorite toys.


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## AlanK (Jun 28, 2008)

Maybe I am thinking way to much of myself but Tuff Dog will not co-operate with my wife when I am home. If I am gone he loves her to pieces....when I get home he practically ignores her:uhoh: It really PO's my better half off sometimes :doh:

Oh well gotta love em


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## coppers-mom (Jan 9, 2009)

Copper definitely prefers me, but he is not as obvious about it as my second golden was. He was 9 years old when I got him and he bonded to me in less than a week. We were truly best buddies since he would never leave my side and he went everywhere with me.


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

Libs loves me and works great for me....but she _adores_ my husband....


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

The hole digging sounds more like it may be stress related. I only say this because of you mentioning she dug it after a long walk with your BF. 

If a dog can love, my Tucker loves me. He listens more to me than my DH. However, he ADORES my husband. Shadow loves my husband, but he is MY dog and he follows me everywhere. I swear if I jumped off a bridge, he would follow. If I had a treat, Tucker would be sure to follow!


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## Honey (Jan 20, 2010)

my mom says shes never seen a golden retriever as attatched to a person as my pup is to me. She makes it seem like a bad thing.


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## paula bedard (Feb 5, 2008)

Honey said:


> my mom says shes never seen a golden retriever as attatched to a person as my pup is to me. She makes it seem like a bad thing.


I think it's probably just a little jealousy...my hubby got that way about my Sam.

My Sam was my shadow and I was his everything. I used to get teased that I loved that dog more than any human and that he'd follow me off a cliff. He was my canine soul mate, no doubt.

Ike seemed to initially bond best with my husband but lately he's becoming closer to me.  Probably because I've been puppysitting my son's new pup and Ike's feeling a bit jealous even though he sulks when the pup's not here. I know Ike loves me, it's obvious by his actions and crazy tail wags for me, but I know in my heart that he's my hubby's canine soul mate. I can't be jealous, it's not something we can control, I don't think. It's chemistry.

BTW...Honey is adorable. Her expression reminds me very much of my Sam.


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## missmarstar (Jul 22, 2007)

Both my dogs are definitely mama's boys and though they LOVE their daddy, if I'm home, I'm the center of their universe. I like it that way


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## GoldenOwner12 (Jun 18, 2008)

hehe sounds like Shelley is a mommys girl i can't believe how affectionant she is, She trys to jump into my arms eg trying to be carried around like a little dog. I'm loving Shelley more then ever. She has really attached herself to me and to me to her, When she was at the groomers i had to leave her to go get my money. Well the groomer said Shelley was looking for me but soon settled down. The groomer said once she heard our car pull up she got very excited. 

Question: If i walk Shelley with other dogs she pulls pretty bad even with a gentle leader, Could this be a dominance thing? cause once she is in front of the other dogs she relaxs a bit.
If i walk Shelley on her own she is great will not pull at all, if she feels the lead pulling she backs off eg slows down. Does anyone elses dog do the same thing?

Shelley's digging i'm not worried about i do get frustrated but i just ignore it and fill in the hole. Just recently found out Einstein my male has started digging too which brings me to another question Can dogs be smart enough to get another dog in trouble? what i mean is could Einstein be digging knowing quite well we would blame Shelley for it. So basicly Einstein digging out of jealously.


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

Shadow likes to be in front if I walk he and Tucker. If he is a bit ahead there is no pulling by either of them. I think he feels he is the leader of the pack. Mainly meaning he thinks he should come before Tucker.


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## spruce (Mar 13, 2008)

I was Obi's (RIP) person..he had his legal family & lots of friends, but I was IT. He reportedly would get excited if he saw a car like mine. Bridger & Sadie love our "family unit"


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## twofastdogs (Nov 8, 2009)

Whoever is filling her food bowl!


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