Could You Be Your Dog's 'heart Person'?

[Little Gifts]

We have three dogs - all different breeds and obtained through different circumstances. My sister has her heart dog Wolf, I have my heart dog Stussy and then we have our foster failure, Tempeh.

We weren't even supposed to foster Tempeh. Based on what works best here we took only young male pei (no puppies). Because Ams was getting her new dog Ammy we offered to take a male puppy and then his female sibling at the last minute so it would free up Ams time to enjoy her own new puppy. The pei pups were surrendered by a BYB with a third male pup and their aged mother (who had different care arrangements). There was even someone else who was supposed to take the female pup from us to foster a couple of days later but she never showed. The male pup rehomed fairly quickly. After a couple of months there was a possibility the female pup was going to fly interstate, so I prepared her for that, but it never happened. Then she went for a sleepover locally but coped very badly and was back with us again in 24 hours in a difficult predicament after exhibiting fear aggression during the sleep over. She was literally immobile with fear when she came back to us and it was really our other dogs that were her comfort over the first few days until she started to let down her barriers again. We shed a lot of tears over that.

Keeping her meant we would have to stop fostering, but we loved her and couldn't bear suffering any further trauma, so she has stayed and ten months after she arrived she is still changing and learning new things, as well as teaching us quite a bit too.

I remember the sleepover mummy saying to me when I picked her up that Tempeh had already decided we were her forever family. She said late that Tempeh saw me and just crawled into my lap and fell to sleep exhausted, when nothing they had tried in the previous 24 hours had given her any peace or comfort.I still look at Temp some days and wonder how the heck she managed it as it seems like she has been here forever as well as it feeling like she has just arrived, given she is still learning and moulding herself into our home and lives.

Given heart dogs exist for us people could heart people exist for dogs? Were we meant to be a family despite the odds of it happening initially? Are we just the family (inc our dogs) that Tempeh needed for her to grow into the dog she has the potential to be? Are we the family that is able to understand and deal with all her little quirks and fears? She still presents us with new challenges (this winter she learnt to snuggle rather than shiver alone in the cold!) and whilst there have been times when we've worried if we could give her everything she needs she has continued to place her trust in us 100% and proved that together we can.

Has anyone else had an experience like this, where a dog just seemed fated to be part of your family for the dog's benefit rather than your own (although that obviously comes too)? I think Staffluv's Ziggy might fall into this category - he was born to be a foster carer and to distract SL from the huge hole in her heart! And maybe even T's Pickles because she treats her like a dog rather than a dog with a disability and is able to give what was just a neglected camp dog a more fulfilling life. I'm sure there are others. Well I hope there are or that means I'm just weird for even thinking all this!

[Rebanne]

I am positive some dogs choose their own heart person, whether they can realise it or not is another thing.

[chuckandsteve]

Our 3rd dog, we got as a foster as he had tested well there. Straight away i knew something was wrong with him and brought in a behaviourist, she said he had been badly abused and exhibited fear issues, then he got attacked by a pug and became fear agressive towards other dogs.

We got him managable but not rehomable. He is so attached to me its incredible, he likes my husband and my father but not to the same level, other people he could live without.

Even if his temperment allowed rehoming i dont think he would cope, he really struggles going into boarding with his trainer.

[persephone]

My Mitchell chose me ..

by breaking out of the kennels where he was housed during assessment for a pet therapy program ... finding my car in the carpark, and somehow squeezing in thru a part opened window .I found him sitting in the driver's seat when I went to go home that day ... and we were together for the rest of his life.

[BlaznHotAussies]

My dog tends to choose me over my husband (who's known him longer because he was on my in-laws' farm) but when my MIL visited he sat right at her feet the entire time and if she talked he'd sit up at attention.

I think it's more the dog chooses it's favourite person based on whose leadership it likes. IMO...

[kelpiecuddles]

I stronly suspet my 3 year old daughter is my basset's heart person. I was watching them at the park the other day, Celeste would put her arms around her to give her a hug and whenever she stopped Josie would wrap her head in to Celeste's chest asking her to hold her close. It was very sweet, and interesting that she really doesn't behave that way with anyone else.

[hankdog]

Hard to know with Jake whether its because he loves me or I'm his security blanket. I'm the person translating human for him and he needs me for that.

When we got Hank I was still working so although I walked and fed him he pretty much got even time with everyone. He was supposed to sleep in the kitchen but there was a big storm about six months after we got him and he came and found me in my room, after that it was clear he had chosen me. He was a confident, easy going dog but he didn't relish strangers patting him and never got overly excited or in your face. He just liked to be sitting near me and I only realized once he was gone that as I went about my day I would every now and then just put out my hand and get a little head bump. He was the perfect height dog, really we just fitted together.

[tdierikx]

Harper loves me above all else... the only other people she will happily go to are lillypilly and Katdogs (fellow DOLers and friends) - but she still looks for me for reassurance. She's been like that since before I took her home to foster as a young pup.

Zeddy (14 this month) was supposed to be my now ex's dog, but she decided early on that I was her one and only... wise choice methinks... *grin*

Pickles and Trouble prefer my company unless there's easy food pickings from someone else... lol!

T.

[Zombie Bait]

Brembo chose me over my ex.

When we got him as a pup he just always naturally gravatated towards me for attention, reassurance etc.

The relationship we have is just different to the relationship he has had with my ex or my parents. One look from me can have him doing the happy dance or stop him firmly in his tracks.

Sierra definitely chose my ex. She loved me but it took her 2 years to decide that I was ok and she wasn't going to off me at the first chance she got. I miss her (its been 18 months since I last saw her) but I know she is with her heart person.

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

I went to look at a little unwanted dog one day, owners had died. Caretaker person was in the kitchen putting the kettle on, I had picked up this little dog and had her on my lap. The caretaker was stunned, this dog bit everyone supposedly, but not me.

The dog really related to me as opposed to the caretaker who'd had her for months and it was very obvious.

Due to a difficult scenario it would be a few months before I could get her to safety as hard as I tried, at my house. I had her for just over 2 years and loved her dearly. She liked very few people!

She died too young due to years of poor diet, I have her photo on my fridge and miss her every day. Dear little Beebee.

[PuddleDuck]

My 23 month old daughter is my toller Bear's heart person. Has been from the moment I got pregnant, bears head was on my belly every time I sat down and now they do everything together....bear taught herself to use the slide so they can go down together, pretends to eat the plastic food when they play picnics and insists on being the first one in the room when my daughter wakes. It's amazing

[~Anne~]

I'd like to think that Monte thought I was his heart human. But he was a dog. A dog I loved very much and one who relied on me to keep him going but he didn't choose me or think of me as his 'heart' human because he didn't have that ability. Sure, he gravitated to me but that was instinct because he knew I was his carer and he would get food, warmth and security.

[hippo]

bear pretends to eat the plastic food when they play picnics

Oh my goodness, that sounds ridiculously cute! photos if you have any, please!

[cali]

I am Rusty's heart person..the feeling is not mutual lol. Rusty bounced around to a lot of different homes, and he had no problem just picking up and starting over just as in love with the new family and he was with the last, sometimes he would run away, find a new family and join them instead. then he found me...I never wanted him..heck he was he was the first stray/foster(he was a stray, found his owners, learned his history, but they ended up unable to keep him, and he became my foster) I took in that I DIDN'T want to keep. problem was, everytime I tried to re-home him, he came back to me within 8-10 hours. I dunno what happened to this "I'll take anyone" attitude he used to have, but he wont even run away anymore unless its to come to me. I've learned to love him, but I didn't chose him and would not have chosen him, I just gave up trying to get ride of him lol.

[Leah82]

I'm probably Sarah's heart person, since we got her a few months ago she's been firmly attached to me and no-one else, to the point where she clings to the back of my leg like a small child when she's nervous.

Although I definitely think it's to do with leadership style as well, my OH tends to be quite boisterous with our Cocker, she most likely took one look at them together and decided that wasn't for her :laugh:

[MadWoofter]

Tess is my heart dog, but I'm Fleming's human :D

It took us (me & the rescue group) ages to decide he was a foster failure. We all reckon Flemo knew instantly.

He loves everyone & everything, is such a happy boy without any problems with distress or anxiety (which he could potentially have had a lot of), and is just a delight to have around. He is happiest however when he's curled up on the sofa next to me, rolling on his back and 'talking' to me and telling me about his day :D

[W Sibs]

Emmy's heart person is Mr W.

Skeeter has a huge heart and everyone is his person but his will choose his family/pack over anyone else. He doesn't play favourites.

[Perry's Mum]

I think I am Perry's heart person - she won't leave the house without me. I hurt my leg a few weeks ago and arranged with friends she loves to take her for walks every day - she refuses to go although she knows I am OK, I just cannot walk very far.

[Bjelkier]

Wolf, Tyrion and Freyja are very much my dogs and will always gravitate towards me. In fact from the moment Tyrion could see it was all about me. He had very little interest in anyone else, including his breeder.

Dante loves everyone and Daenerys is my OH's girl

[Little Gifts]

It's funny because when we had the two foster pups I was smitten with the boy and my sister was smitten with Tempeh. The boy (Dweeb/Roan) would scream for me and couldn't help but cuddle and kiss him endlessly. I was joking I was going to buy a baby sling so I could carry him whilst doing the chores and on the computer so we could never be apart! But when he met a family he loved like a typical pei I became irrelevant! Tempeh on the other hand was always quite independent and less inclined towards babying. But I could tell as time went on that going to Peiradise events she was getting anxious whenever someone else had her out of my eye sight and as the day wore on she'd be trying to veer her way to my car so she could go 'home'. Everytime I'd get out the lime green gear she'd get a little stressed at the thought of another event. I still hoped her forever family would come along as imagined her in a family with kids to run around with and maybe even as an only dog, but nope, she decided she'd already met them and they just had to realise it! She is never more content than when the rest of her pack (humans and dogs) are all home and settled. It still excites me to see her change and become more confident (and dare I say it) normal. She is now ok to wear a dog coat on very cold nights (a big achievement!) but her most recent concern is people sneezing! It's apparently a very scary noise and unpredictably wet if you are in the way of it!