I have Cavaliers. Although I had heard the opposite, I would say that my female is more cuddly. Male is more “doglike”, wants to be petted but a bit more reserved. He does cuddle (they are Cavaliers, its what they do!) but not as much as his sister. His sister is a total flirt. She loved to sit next to me in the chair like a meerkat and snuggle her head under my chin. If I don’t pay enough attention, she will try to pull a hand over with her paw. I have to restrain her about the ear cleaning though!
Both dogs are very affectionate, but my female is more of a “snuggler”.
[QUOTE=BuddyRoo;8232602]
So back to the OP…makes me wonder if our pets are more influenced by our preferences than we might think. I am a major bubble person. I am not a hugger and it bugs me when people get into my space uninvited. Thing is, I invite my critters! I love to snuggle with them but they generally aren’t hip to it.
When it’s me.
Does that mean we suck? LOL[/QUOTE]
It’s quite possible. 
OP, my female GSD was a lot like yours. Would follow me everywhere - she was definitely my girl. Wanted to be wherever I was and made it clear she was unhappy when she couldn’t be with me. But she wasn’t particularly a snuggler. Was never interested in sleeping with me but would happily hang out on the other end of the couch.
When I lost her last year, I got a rescue male GSD. Maybe it’s a reflection of his life before me (whatever that was), but he’d sit on my lap all day/all night if I let him.
As khall said, maybe she views you as her job. But I also think to a certain extent that dogs have personalities as varied as people do.
All that being said, there’s nothing like a German Shepherd 
I find this all very interesting about female dogs, stuff I never knew. My female dog definitely appreciates a good cuddle and makeout(she is a face licker) session, and usually sleeps w/ me at night. 
[QUOTE=chaserider;8232866]
OP, my female GSD was a lot like yours. Would follow me everywhere - she was definitely my girl. Wanted to be wherever I was and made it clear she was unhappy when she couldn’t be with me. But she wasn’t particularly a snuggler. Was never interested in sleeping with me but would happily hang out on the other end of the couch.
When I lost her last year, I got a rescue male GSD. Maybe it’s a reflection of his life before me (whatever that was), but he’d sit on my lap all day/all night if I let him.
As khall said, maybe she views you as her job. But I also think to a certain extent that dogs have personalities as varied as people do.
All that being said, there’s nothing like a German Shepherd :)[/QUOTE]
I’ve only had male GSD’s before, all were snugglers… Could be either…gender or just general personality.
You’re exactly right. GSD’s are the bomb.com lol
[QUOTE=supaflyskye;8232968]
I find this all very interesting about female dogs, stuff I never knew. My female dog definitely appreciates a good cuddle and makeout(she is a face licker) session, and usually sleeps w/ me at night. :D[/QUOTE]
My daughter has female pit crosses and every one of them is a snuggler and a love. Too bad I’m not a fan of terriers, give me a good working dog… even if she doesn’t snuggle.
[QUOTE=chism;8230291]
She simply will NOT cuddle me, and never has since she was a puppy. If i attempt to cuddle her while we’re on the couch, lay down next to her, wrap my arms around her, simply get too close, enter into her space in any way, she’ll get up and move… not far, just a few feet, but it’s almost like she’s making a statement. She’ll lay by my feet on the bed, but NO spooning. [/QUOTE]
Yeah, that’s my collie mix. I can almost hear her thinking “CLINGY!” and “NEEDY!” when I try to get too close. She’s elderly and instead of all the walking, I try to hang out with her quietly in the yard, if the weather cooperates. I get her settled, get a blanket to lie on myself, and settle down nearby. If I’m too close, she eyes me and then, despite her arthritis, gets up and moves all of a foot away. She loves me, she’s an extra-special dog who would do anything for me, happy to be petted, and she requires definite personal space. I think I’m a distraction; if I’m too close, I block her ability to monitor the universe as a Border Collie mix of course must, to ensure the world doesn’t go to hell. I’m not sure it’s a herding dog thing, though, as my first dog was a Bearded Collie who was absolutely willing to cuddle and adored physical closeness. And a friend’s small male lap dog is also non-cuddly; willing to be petted, but he goes starfish, all 4 legs sticking straight out, if you try to cuddle him.
As for the men thing? The sad, unfeminist truth is that female dogs are often total sluts for men.
1 Like
[QUOTE=chism;8233076]
My daughter has female pit crosses and every one of them is a snuggler and a love. Too bad I’m not a fan of terriers, give me a good working dog… even if she doesn’t snuggle.[/QUOTE]
Mine has some Pit in her as well, and German Shorthaired Pointer amongst other things. I like Pitbulls generally, not a huge fan of their “look” but they usually have great personalities. What breeds are your dogs if you don’t prefer terriers?
[QUOTE=supaflyskye;8234010]
Mine has some Pit in her as well, and German Shorthaired Pointer amongst other things. I like Pitbulls generally, not a huge fan of their “look” but they usually have great personalities. What breeds are your dogs if you don’t prefer terriers?[/QUOTE]
I had German Shepherds as a kid growing up, so they’ll always be my favorite dog. We’ve had about a half dozen Rhodesian RIdgebacks over the years and a couple Shepherds. We recently lost our senior RR. I currently only have the young female GSD, but we’re looking for another RR to foster or adopt, not interested in another puppy at this time.
Both of my daughters have pits & pit crosses. I love them to pieces, they’re adorable, affectionate and super snuggly, and the size is growing on me. Pit bulls are pretty cool actually. They are not in any way shape or form, dog or human aggressive btw. I’m a big dog person, but I gotta admit a 35-40 lb dog is pretty cool. Small enough to pick up and they don’t hog the bed. Working dog temperaments just suit me best, and I also really like the quiet aloofness of the RR. The terrier energy is just too much, it’s go-go-go all the time without a purpose. I like a dog that can do quiet as well as have drive, I’m not a fan of a dog that’s all up in my space. My GSD needs a job, but she can also just chill and be present without being in my face all the time.
Same here. My 19 month old GSD is my shadow, but when we’re all in the same room she cuddles up to my husband.
My almost seven year old German Shepherd is not a cuddler. He’s not particularly fond of hugs or anything similar to that. He’s never been abused. We’ve had him since he was 10 weeks old and is an amazing all-around dog that we could never have even wished for. But hugs and cuddles are off-limits. He “tolerates” them, and that’s it. We don’t force it with him, but for our evil human entertainment, my husband will lay down beside him and try to cuddle. He looks over at me like, “really? this again” until he squirms out of it. He doesn’t cuddle with me either.
He’s perfectly content laying next to me on the ottoman (he on the ottoman, me on the couch) when I ask him to lay beside me. He’s not particularly high drive, but he sees me as his job. I feel like he thinks if he’s “trapped” or caught off guard by cuddling he might miss something, but that’s just my personal opinion.
Oh, and for what it’s worth, he’s a slinky, German Shepherd shadow panther any other time…follows me to every room, every spot in the room, etc. but isn’t anxious. He’s just deemed it his “job,” and guarding is natural for German Shepherds of stable temperaments.
[QUOTE=WorkingDrive;8237800]
My almost seven year old German Shepherd is not a cuddler. He’s not particularly fond of hugs or anything similar to that. He’s never been abused. We’ve had him since he was 10 weeks old and is an amazing all-around dog that we could never have even wished for. But hugs and cuddles are off-limits. He “tolerates” them, and that’s it. We don’t force it with him, but for our evil human entertainment, my husband will lay down beside him and try to cuddle. He looks over at me like, “really? this again” until he squirms out of it. He doesn’t cuddle with me either.
He’s perfectly content laying next to me on the ottoman (he on the ottoman, me on the couch) when I ask him to lay beside me. He’s not particularly high drive, but he sees me as his job. I feel like he thinks if he’s “trapped” or caught off guard by cuddling he might miss something, but that’s just my personal opinion.
Oh, and for what it’s worth, he’s a slinky, German Shepherd shadow panther any other time…follows me to every room, every spot in the room, etc. but isn’t anxious. He’s just deemed it his “job,” and guarding is natural for German Shepherds of stable temperaments.[/QUOTE]
THIS is my dog exactly. I’ll lay down on the floor with her and get the exact same “Really?! sigh…guess i have to move”. lol My male, who we lost to DM about a year and a half ago was the opposite. He was our “german shepherd blanket” and a fantastic snuggler.
FWIW, my male GSD, though utterly and completely and pathologically devoted to me, is not a snuggler. He refuses all invitations to join me on the couch, sits at a respectful distance if I get down on the floor and try and cuddle, and won’t ever, EVER, take me up on an offer to sleep on the bed*. He’s not really snuggly with anybody, though. He’s happy to run up and say hi to nearly friendly stranger, and will enthusiastically present his butt for scratching to anyone he’s familiar with, but no cuddling, no sir. My husband gets the same treatment, perhaps with a bit less obsessive observation.
- exception being the night I got in a screaming fight with my husband (we were in a real rough patch) and retreated to the guest bedroom for the night. My dog was on the bed all night, watching out for me.
Most dogs aren’t really wired to enjoy being embraced/hugged. Many will tolerate it but it is usually the human part of the equation wanting to do the cuddling – especially hugging. Lying next to you/head on your lap, etc. is more comfortable, but not many dogs want to be hugged/embraced, even if they tolerate it. (Well, lapdogs/toys have been bred for centuries to be carried around, but speaking in general.)
Hugging is more of a primate thing – Patricia McConnell talks at length about this in works such as The Other End of the Leash. So, I think your girl is really quite a normal dog and she certainly seems to find it important to be with you, even if she doesn’t want to cuddle! She sounds amazing – your dedicated shadow!
1 Like
My female Cardi is 14 months - I have worked hard on her snuggling ability, but she is less snuggly than my two boys were and way less snuggly than my Gordon (who would be totally happy either sitting on me or being sat upon). She will sit on my lap for tummy rubs, but she does need to supervise the household, so doesn’t stay long.
Apologies for bringing up an incredibly old thread, but this was the only one I found that seemed pertinent to my query/circumstance! I am really intrigued with this behaviour as it has become more pronounced in our 7 mo male whippet.
We got him when he was 5 mo, so we missed a lot of the early development work. He is an incredibly loving little creature though, and when he first moved in with us would constantly seek us out and would happily sit alongside either of us on the sofa, or by our feet, or wherever, as long as we were close and in sight. In the intervening months however, his behaviour with me has changed on that front. We spend an awful lot of time together, and he will call out for me, follow me room to room, initiate play, and even happily clamber up onto my knee when sat on a chair for cuddles and a nap. If we are in a new environment, or one where he is more stressed than usual (like the back of a car, or in a busy pub for example) he will tend to come to me for comfort and close contact. However - and it only seems to be in this scenario - when I’m sat on the sofa, he will totally hesitate to get on there with me (this didn’t used to be the case). He’ll go and sit on his bed or walk out of the room, or if he does get on the sofa with me, he’ll tend to move to the far end so we’re not touching. Whereas if my other half sits down on the sofa, he’s up there like a shot, lazing all over him and nuzzling his lap. If both of us are on the sofa he tends to stick his bum into me and have his head draped across my OH
I have hypothesized about this (and come up with lots of different reasons), but I’m really interested to see what others think or have observed. I’ve seen his confidence grow and his personality emerge and lots of his behaviours and quirks have evolved even in a short space of time, but I have noticed this particular change (naturally) more as it has me really intrigued!
Well, Whippets tend to be cuddly “on their terms”. While sometimes needy and clingy (as in you can’t go to the bathroom alone and they like to know you are near), they do like their “space” and will come to you and press on you (or put their heads in your lap) when they either feel insecure about something, or are particularly relaxed
I think he’s “respecting your space”, and not so much your SO’s.
Whippets can be persnickety affection-givers (see above), but it sounds like he is warming up to you both as he passes through his teenaged phase, and is becoming more bonded to you as he learns the routine(s).
As someone mentioned upthread, dogs will generally be more respectful of the “leader’s” space, so doesn’t come close unless invited - but seeks out contact withe you when he feels insecure (stressed) since you are his “safe place” in those situations.
My female Whippet is pretty much the same way, as was my male.
She rarely seeks out affection from my husband (not a leader, just a feeder), but allows my adult daughter (and me) to “mush” on her and will curl up next to us. Obviously I make her do things and do things with her (as her leader/partner, so she of course adores me), my daughter less so - but my daughter has walked her and interacted with her WAY more than my DH has, so even though she is in grad school and isn’t home often, my dog still thinks of her as her parent/boss/teacher and so is very loving towards her. In her demure Whippet Princess way, of course…
I discuss this with our dog group leader - she agrees with most of the male/female thoughts aired above. I have always liked female dogs, but she says her best dogs were males…We just agree to differ, but it is true that my female Boxer is just not particularly cuddly. Only time is if she’s jealous of my daughter’s French Bulldog, when she will climb over her to get on my lap. It is like cuddling with a bunch of coat hangers, all those long legs folded up somehow.
I’d just let the dog be who she is - wonderful, loyal and loving and telling you what she likes or does not like.
1 Like
Some animals love women and some animals love men. I’ve seen this with dogs and cats and horses. Nothing will change it.
Does your husband initiate cuddles or does the dog? When I was growing up, my mom liked dogs but really wasn’t one to want to be petting and cuddling them. So when we were all sitting around together the dog almost always laid by her. He could ‘cuddle’ as much as HE desired, but wasn’t ‘forced’ to cuddle.
