You are not the only one who has ever wondered why your dog loves to jump on you and not your husband.
It’s a common quandary among pet owners, especially when it looks like there is nothing different between the two of you.
And yes, there might be a simple explanation for it…he simply loves your company.
Table of Contents
26 Reasons Why Your Dog Jumps on You and Not Your Husband
1. Your dog needs you in a way he doesn’t need your husband:
Dogs may be pack animals, but they are only loyal to the people in their pack, not the pack itself.
The bond between humans and dogs is usually stronger than the bond between dog and dog or dog and his pack.
This means that your dog probably prefers your company to that of other dogs or humans.
He wants to be with you all the time. If you have more than one pet, he will most likely be closer to you than to your other pets.
A dog that likes you will probably try to get your attention at times when he feels he isn’t getting enough attention from you, or if he has been punished and is upset about being punished.
2. You make your dog feel safe:
Dogs do not feel safe when they are alone.
They feel most secure in the company of their packmates and of people they know well.
So they want to be with you because they want to feel safe.
They probably don’t feel safe in the presence of strangers or possible, your husband.
3. You give him rewards when he behaves:
A dog wants to be rewarded for behaving well.
You give him food treats or affection when he does what you want, and this makes you very appealing to him.
He knows that you will always give him rewards for behaving and that your husband will not do this, so his attention naturally shifts to you.
4. He knows that he can get what he wants from you:
A dog needs an owner who is capable of giving him what he wants.
If your husband’s behavior is unpredictable, then your dog will never be able to have his own way when he wants something.
That’s why your dog will always be trying not to make you angry so that you will not become upset and then give him what he wants.
5. He likes the physical closeness created by leaning against you:
Dogs have to touch in order to maintain their social status.
They want to be as close as possible to the most powerful pack member, and that’s usually the alpha-dog, because he is most likely going to protect them from other dogs and humans.
6. He can smell you and identify with you:
When a dog is close to his packmates, he can smell their individual scents and therefore identify which of them has been in his territory recently.
If a stranger (or your husband who is away more) comes onto your property or stays there for any length of time, your dog may not trust him at all.
7. You are more responsive to his actions than your husband is:
If you ignore your cat, she will do nothing for days. A dog on the other hand will constantly pester you until you respond to him.
He is a master at getting you to give him what he wants by acting in different ways and seeing what makes you angry, such as nipping at your ankles and barking while leaning against you.
8. Your husband is larger than you:
It is not likely that your dog would nip at a much taller person, such as a tall man or even a tall woman; he knows that your husband would be bigger than you if he ever tried to do this.
A dog will always try to avoid getting into trouble with his packmates because they are usually bigger and stronger than him, so they are the ones who can stop him from going too far.
9. You are more established in the pack:
You are the final say on issues that a dog doesn’t understand.
Your dog knows that you will always be there for him, so he can find out what is true or false about a situation from you.
He expects your husband to disappear at times, since he is probably not as close to him.
10. They love you more:
Dogs show love with their whole bodies, and they will often hug, lick, sniff and nip at their loved ones to show affection.
When a dog loves someone, he will always like that person more than he likes other people.
This is why your dog is more likely to nip at you than he would be if you were not a member of his pack.
He will lose interest in you if you are not part of his pack.
11. Your husband is mean:
If your dog was raised with abuse, then this could have an effect on him.
If he is being treated badly by your husband at the moment, he may have been taught to show aggression towards him and may only think that he can get a response from your husband by behaving aggressively towards him.
If he is a puppy, he may not even know what abuse is yet.
12) Your dog thinks you are a better pet parent
Dogs want to follow their pack’s rules.
If your husband tells your dog to stay in the yard at all times, then it is not likely that your dog will follow him.
He will be very likely to stay out of your yard and follow you.
He will also come running to you if he hears your voice or sees you waving at him because he knows that something must be wrong if he can’t find you.
If your husband makes him do military rolls or handstands for no reason, then it is not likely that your dog will try this when he hears you tell him to do them, because he wouldn’t know what they are for.
He will know that these silly games are just something only your husband likes to do with him and that they are not necessary.
13. You sing or talk to your dog during the day:
Many dogs’ attention will tend to shift towards that person who talks or sings to them during the day.
If you do this then it is considered acceptable, because you are showing him love.
Your focus on your dog will be seen as more important than anything else in the world for him.
14. Your dog may not like to be alone with your husband:
Dogs feel lonely when they are left alone, so if your dog is left with your husband for too long, he will start to act unhappy about this.
15. He likes your smell:
Dogs can identify their packmates by smell, so if you spend a lot of time with your dog, this will make him think that you are part of his pack.
He will forget about other smells and just remember yours. Your smell will be the most important thing for him.
He will try to stay as close to you as possible so that he can always smell this special scent.
16. You make your dog feel safe:
Dogs are also very afraid of the unknown.
If your dog has been raised with abuse, then he may be afraid of what might happen to him next if your husband is around, and so he will run to you for comfort whenever he gets upset.
Your dog feels the most comfort when you are holding him or petting him.
17. He likes your behaviors:
Sometimes it doesn’t matter what is said or done to your dog; if he is getting the reactions that he wants, then he will respond as if they are true.
He will not be able to think clearly when his emotions are strong, so it is more likely that he will understand and believe in these things when you do them.
This will make him want to be close to you.
18. You give him freedom:
Dogs also want independence, but they want to feel safe and relaxed at the same time.
They want to be able to roam freely at times so that they can take their time and find out what is around them and who is around them.
If they are not able to do this, then they will start to act differently towards you or your husband.
If your dog does this for too long, then it might even become a problem.
19. You are the most important person in his life:
Dogs are a very social species. They love to be around others, and they will always follow what you say.
If you tell your dog to do something, then it is likely that he will promise to do it for you at some point.
Dogs tend not to break these promises that they have made because they feel obligated to obey their packmates as long as they have made the promise.
Your dog may not even have any commitment to your husband. He may only feel obligated to do something in order to get close to you.
When he does, then he does it with full commitment.
20. You are there for your dog:
If your dog is in trouble at any time, then he will want to seek help from you instead of his packmates.
In most cases, he won’t even know that he is doing this. He will just feel like you are the one who can fix the problem and that you are the most important person in his life.
21. Your dog is always happy to see you:
If, in your dog’s mind, your husband is a bad person, then your dog will want to be with you at all times.
It doesn’t matter whether he is physically or emotionally there for you; just knowing that he is close by and around you will make your dog feel good.
He will trust that you will save him if something else happens, so he won’t worry about anything while you are around.
22. Your husband criticizes you or your dog:
Dogs tend to remember people for their good qualities.
If your husband is always being critical, then this will not make your dog feel special around him.
He will feel like he is not living up to your husband’s high standards.
This might be what is causing him to act differently towards your husband.
23. Your dog doesn’t like your husband’s smell:
Dogs can smell the differences between people, so if he doesn’t like your husband’s smell, then your dog will also pick up on this.
This might explain why he doesn’t listen to your husband or follow his orders.
He may see him as someone who is not very trustworthy.
Your dog might even take delight in ignoring him and doing what he wants instead because he feels that no one will punish him for it.
24. You don’t talk to your husband:
Dogs feel more comfortable when they can hear voices.
If you are not talking to your husband in front of him, then he will try to please you by ignoring his packmates.
He will turn around and look at you when you ask him something because he needs reassurance that you are still hearing his voice.
If you want him to do something for you, then telling him through words would be better than doing it through actions.
25. You are more fun:
If your dog loves you, then it is very likely that he doesn’t think your husband is fun.
This is why he will probably feel excited when you call him to come in for dinner or take him for a walk.
He will probably go happily when you ask him to do things, if he is able to understand what you want, while he may be very reluctant to listen to your husband.
Even if your husband is a very nice person, your dog will not enjoy his company much because he doesn’t think he is.
26. Your dog likes you more:
If your dog loves you, then it is likely that he likes you more than your husband.
He will probably love to run around with you for hours on end.
Final Thoughts
Dogs need praise, love, and affection to be happy.
If they are not getting much of it from their packmates, then they will gladly get it from someone else.
This means that it is possible for your dog to love you more than he does your husband.
You shouldn’t feel bad about this; dogs tend to listen and follow the person who shows them affection more often.
Your dog just has a stronger bond with you than he does with your husband at this point in time.
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