A Golden Retriever is a great pet to have in your home. They are able to be there to play with and have lots of energy to keep up with you and your children. They are a great pet to own for families, but many wonder whether a Golden Retriever is going to have a favorite person in the family.
Your Golden Retriever can have a favorite person for a variety of reasons. While most Golden Retrievers like everyone and just want to get love and attention from others, they may gravitate more to one person over another. Often this person is the one who spends the most time with the dog, gives them treats and food, and will give attention whenever the dog wants.
This does not mean that no one else is loved by the Golden Retriever. This dog breed loves to be around everyone and will not worry too much about favoritism like some other breeds can. And it is easy to become the favorite of this dog as well. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why a Golden Retriever may choose one person over another to be their favorite person.
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How Do Golden Retrievers Pick Their Favorite Person?
There are a few different reasons that a dog will find itself attached to certain people. Some are looking for that alpha they will follow while others are the most loyal to someone who feeds them and takes them on walks. However, consistency, attention, and affection are the biggest factors that come into play when it comes time for the Golden Retriever to pick their favorite person.
For this kind of pet, it is going to be all about the bond that you want to create with them. There are a few ways that this bond can be created including:
Training
You need to train and socialize your Golden Retriever as soon as you can after bringing them home. Proper socialization and training is going to be important to their physical and mental health. Not only does this help your puppy learn how to behave with other dogs and people, but it can get them to behave properly.
In addition to this, the training time can be a bonding period for you and your puppy. They will spend this time learning with you and during that time, you will become their safety blanket. The person who spends the most time training their Golden Retriever can often be the person they form a bond with and like the most out of the family.
Affection and Attention
Physical affection and attention can be key to creating a good bond with your dog. From playing to walking and grooming, the more you give your dog attention, the more they will seek that attention and make that person their favorite. Golden Retrievers like to get lots of attention and will seek it out. They will work to get this attention from anyone who is nearby. But if one person in the family gives more attention on a consistent basis, the Golden Retriever may favor them a little more than the others.
Positive Reinforcement
For most Golden Retrievers, the person who gives out the treats and fills up their bowl for dinner will their dinner will be their favorite. Food is a big motivator for most dogs, and you may find that they will follow you through the kitchen at random times during the day. This is a similar thing found when someone plays with the dog. Playing with your Golden Retriever can create a fun bond that they will enjoy and seek out.
Positive reinforcement is one of the best ways to train any dog and get them to feel loved within the family. And when they are able to get lots of positive reinforcement from all of those around them, but more from one person compared to others, then they will naturally gravitate to that person. These dogs like to have all the attention that is all around. If there is one person around who is willing to give more of that attention and more positive reinforcement, especially when it comes to the treats, the dog is going to gravitate more towards this person
than anyone else.
Other Reasons
While all of the reasons above are true of a Golden Retriever and may be proof of why the Golden Retriever. Sometimes though, your Golden Retriever will just latch onto someone in the family and choose that person to be their favorite. It may be one of the adults or it may be one of the kids. But there is often a time when the Golden Retriever will pick someone and attach to them.
Sometimes you will see that a Golden Retriever will navigate closer to one of the children. Children are naturally good at spending time with this dog, giving them treats, pets, and want to play with them. It is not uncommon to see the family Golden Retriever following around one or more of the children because they like the added attention that they are able to get in the process.
In other cases, it may be the adult, especially if there is one who is home more often than the other. This person is able to provide more attention than the others. They are also the ones most likely to hand out the food to the dog, so the dog will more likely gravitate towards them compared to anyone else who is in the family
Keep in mind that these dogs are going to go to the ones who will give them a ton of attention. They like to get the treats, the quality time, and everything else. If there is someone who is more likely to give out those things, then the Golden Retriever is going to find themselves drawn to that person more than some of the other people in the family. It is not uncommon for the dog to love everyone in the house though and they may not develop favoritism with
anyone.
Does This Dog Always Have a Favorite?
Because of the friendly nature of the Golden Retriever, it is possible that they will not develop any kind of favoritism at all with members of the family. If everyone is willing to share snacks, take the dog on a walk, pet them and give them a lot of attention, then it is unlikely that this dog is going to pick one person to be their favorite at all. The Golden Retriever likes as much attention as possible so they will make the rounds and love on everyone if the opportunity to do so presents itself.
However, if there is one person who gives quite a bit more attention and focuses to the dog compared to some of the other people in the home, then it is likely your dog will gravitate to them and make them their new favorite. A few extra belly rubs and treats and a few walks can often be enough to help your Golden Retriever to choose you as their favorite person in the house.
How to Become Your Golden Retrievers Favorite
Now that we know some of the reasons why your Golden Retriever will pick a favorite inside the family, it is time to look at some of the different techniques and methods that you are able to use in order to make sure that your Golden Retriever picks you as their new favorite. Some of the steps that you can take to make this happen includes:
Work together on training and socialization Your Golden Retriever likes to get a lot of attention and treats. When they get these from you during the training, they can easily start to associate you with playtime. This can quickly make you one of their favorite people.
Stake your claim as the keeper of the food: You need to make it clear to the puppy who the one in charge of the food and treats are. This will cause the Golden Retriever to look to you when they want something. Not only will this help them see you as the leader of the pack, but one of their favorite people
Play with them each day: Spending some time outside with your dog can make them feel like you are close. This not only helps them get some fresh air and work on their agility and skills when playing but makes them feel a special bond with you. Be present: Since your Golden retriever craves attention. The person who is willing to give them the most attention is the one who will quickly become the favorite of this dog breed.
Keep in mind that Golden Retrievers are loving dogs and they can quickly love everyone in the family. While they may show a little preference for one member of the family over the other, this does not mean that they do not like the other members of the family as well. This dog breed is going to always be happy to see you and can show this by greeting you at the door, getting excited to play with you, and more.
Though there are a few steps that you can take to encourage a good bond with your Golden Retriever, do not feel any disappointment when they are excited to see some other people. They are very social dogs who love people and are not that picky about where they get that attention, as long as they get the attention somewhere.
In truth, it is possible for the Godden Retriever to have one person they bond well with or that they consider their favorite, but for the most part, they like everyone in the family. If someone is willing to give them an extra treat or with a scratch behind the ears a little more, then this will become their new favorite person to spend time with.
Loving Your Golden Retriever
Golden Retrievers love almost anyone, including those they meet on the street if that person is willing to come and pet them and give them attention. This is part of the reason that so many families love to bring the Golden Retriever home; they are so sweet and affectionate to those around them. They do not tend to gravitate towards a single person like some other breeds because they have plenty of love to go around.
However, because they love food and think they need a ton of attention, you may notice that the Golden Retriever does have a tendency to follow a certain person around. This may be the person who spends the most time with them, the one who plays with them and rubs their belly, and the person who gives them the most food.