"My pet seems to like my husband more."
"My cat only lets my wife pet him."
"Our dog only takes orders from our youngest child."
An owner may erroneously assume that his pet doesn't like him or someone else in the household. In chapter 9 of my book "Your Pet's Peeves," I explain:
...dogs are pack animals with developed sense of hierarchy. Like wolf packs, human families also have hierarchy. Often, the dog does not fit into the family structure. Sometimes, adult owners who accept a pet as a child think that they automatically hold the dominant position in relation to the pet. Pet owners often think this dominant position not only applies to them, but also to every other human in the house, including small children. While this is often true, occasionally a dog of a large breed that tends to have dominant qualities will not obey a weak-willed owner. Furthermore, that same dog will also refuse to be subordinate to a small child.
A dog may notice that one child in a family, for instance, may have great influence, so the dog may incline itself toward that person, the leader. It could also be that the pet does not like a pet owner's tendencies and wants to stay away. There are many reasons for these kind of actions. You may need to contact a specialist tot learn more.
"Our dog only takes orders from our youngest child."
An owner may erroneously assume that his pet doesn't like him or someone else in the household. In chapter 9 of my book "Your Pet's Peeves," I explain:
...dogs are pack animals with developed sense of hierarchy. Like wolf packs, human families also have hierarchy. Often, the dog does not fit into the family structure. Sometimes, adult owners who accept a pet as a child think that they automatically hold the dominant position in relation to the pet. Pet owners often think this dominant position not only applies to them, but also to every other human in the house, including small children. While this is often true, occasionally a dog of a large breed that tends to have dominant qualities will not obey a weak-willed owner. Furthermore, that same dog will also refuse to be subordinate to a small child.
A dog may notice that one child in a family, for instance, may have great influence, so the dog may incline itself toward that person, the leader. It could also be that the pet does not like a pet owner's tendencies and wants to stay away. There are many reasons for these kind of actions. You may need to contact a specialist tot learn more.
