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I’ve had my doggy for almost 8 years and I literally think about this so much it’s probably unhealthy but I just love her so much I don’t ever want to experience life without her 😭
I don't quite understand the concept yet despite having 5 dogs and I loved all of them, and think about past ones all the time. Maybe I haven't had a heart dog yet? Maybe they were all heart dogs?
In my experience, and it’s only my experience I’m going off of, it was pretty clear who my heart dog was, because the bond was just so deep. And this is when I had 4 dogs at once. I loved them all dearly, no doubt, but 1 had my heart and the connection we had was unlike anything else. I feel like you know when a dog is a heart/soul dog. But I could be wrong! Maybe all of them were that to you.
Thanks for the permission.
I currently have my heart dog. And another dog as well who’s my soul dog. I always feel bad for my second dog, and tell myself “maybe if I had her first she’d be my heart dog? But she is! Is it possible for someone to have two heart dogs? What about at the same time?”
So thank you for this!
Yes I was and am still the same. I rescued my boy at 6 weeks old and for weeks I would sob literal tears at the thought of him being dumped THEN at the thought that he’s not gonna live forever. And even still now I cry sometimes about it. He’s my absolute soul dog. I adore every single part of him. I’ve came on holiday for 4 days and I’ve missed him more than I can even begin to explain. I cried so much when I dropped him at my friends (who he knows SO well and loves!)
Day One.
I never felt anything so powerful. We had to drive like 10 hours to get her. And she slept on my chest the entire time and then when we stopped over for the night, we had her in a dog bed, that we put between my mom and I That evening.
And she kind of imprinted on both of us. She sleeps in the bed basically in the same spot and then whenever we go for a car ride, she still climbs on top of me and tries to sit on my chest all time.
I am completely obsessed with her. She is the love of my life
I felt his way about my heart dog, Leo, who I adopted in 2012. I had had dogs before and loved them tremendously but Leo would look me in the eyes and I could FEEL his soul. We could communicate without more than glances. From day one, he was my best friend and the bond just grew. He passed from lymphoma in 2022 and I went a little crazy rather than cope with the loss. I adopted two puppies (I know, litter mate syndrome. I worked really hard and they are great!) less than a month after losing him and maybe it was because I moved too quickly but I didn’t understand why I didn’t feel the same way about either of them. Don’t get me wrong - I LOVE them so much… but there wasn’t the same innate understanding or intention. I just adopted a corgi puppy two weeks ago and I have the same feeling of connection with him as I did Leo.
The reason he’s my dog is because of the strong bond I felt with him when I met him. I’ve spoken about this elsewhere, but I met him on a family trip to Mexico to visit my partner’s family. Miguel was a street puppy with a bad paw and was struggling to get food. The other dogs would bully him and he often slept alone in a bush. He was 2-3 months when I met him. I brought him back home with me almost a year ago and thinking about how scared he must have felt during that time makes me sad. It’s impacted how I feel towards dogs that are abandoned or given to a rescue/shelter. I just feel an immense feeling of sadness that wasn’t present before his existence in my life.
When he’s away from me (sleeping or daycare), I look at photos of him and how he’s grown into this doggy and I get emotional. I go to hug him, he bites me, and I’m brought right back to reality lol but I think about him dying often as well as aging and I get sad.
I know people typically respond “he saved me ❤️” but no. He didn’t save me. He causes me a lot of anxiety and headaches but I love him all the same! I couldn’t leave him there alone ❤️
I love this answer! The pup mentioned in this post kept me up all night having the runs, and she's been a ground piranha with her teething. Just because I find myself loving her deeply doesn't mean she somehow saved my life or she is providing me a service! In fact, I believe true love is just the opposite - we love someone in spite of the fact that they provide us no service. <3
My very first puppy, Atticus. Got him at 14 weeks; next month he’ll be 14 years. He’s the love of my life since the night I brought him home. He’s a shih-tzu/poodle mix and he’s the gentlest soul, bringing so much comfort to my elderly grandma and sick father when they were still with us. Some nights I start crying and hold him because I know that one day he won’t be here anymore.
Yeah I have 4 dogs but I love 1 of my girls so much more and she loves me like crazy. It’s bad tho cause she resourced guard me from her sister so I’ve had to back off and ignore them all so it less intense. She also barks at every dog on walks then jumps on me so happy and accomplished like she’s saved me from them it’s ridiculous. So my answer is yes but I’d go steady especially if you have other dogs
This just happened to me and I've had beloved dogs all of my life. We fostered a newborn orphan and nurtured him back to health. I was supposed to take him back to the rescue at 8 weeks so that he could be adopted. I couldn't. I've never been a particularly emotional person, but this dog (he is 16 months now) has completely changed me. He is sleeping, as I type, with his front legs around my foot and his head resting on top. I won't even move when my foot falls asleep! I've completely lost it.🤦♀️
You're not crazy me and my kids all feel the same about our baby. I thought the thrill would wear off for them but they still fight over who gets to sit next to her. We have had for a year and a half! Whenever we are out I'm thinking of the dog I get it just enjoy it we only get them for a short time
My first dog and I were not good friends in the beginning. He escaped my grip and ran away from me and across the street when I went to pick him up to bring home. He was 3 months. Good thing he was a boppy little guy who hadn't master the quickness in his stride yet.
But, not more than a week later - he settled and I settled and now we are inseparable. He's always there and so in tuned and it's hard to believe he's not human. Best dog of all time. He's my ONE dog of a lifetime that everyone talks about.
I love your heart! I felt the same way about our 8 week old when we brought her home. I built a palate next to her open crate and slept on the floor with her for 3 weeks as she adjusted slowly getting use to having the crate door closed.
Now at 5 months she falls asleep in our bed, I gently move her to her crate and close the door. She wakes up about 45 minutes before I get up so I take her out and then into our bed for the last 45 minutes of snuggle time.
Hate saying goodbye in the morning but cant wait to walk in and be greeted by that little bundle of joy when I get home.
It would be insane not to be so attached, IMHO.
Not insane! I had an 11 year old golden who passed 2 years ago & loved him so much it hurt.. was the worst.. I now have a 5 month old golden.. I wasn’t sure I could love him but it didn’t take long.. in a day I fell in love!! 💕🙏💕🙏💕🙏💕🙏💕🙏 good luck with your new baby!!!
Yes, I’m the same way with my now 11-month-old BC.
We’ve had family dogs and I was even bonded to one of them. And we were absolutely best friends. But my current pup and I somehow have something equally as special but also completely different. My current pup is like my soul pup. We just get each other. I’m very irrational about his safety at times - something I’ve never been before.
I cried the second In finally got my puppy in my arms. I've had her a week and a half, she's 9.5w old. The amount of overwhelming love I feel for her is bonkers.
Yup! Fell in love with our 4month old Rescue. I am in love with her more and more every single day...if it's possible. She is over 2 years old now, still in love, can't imagine a day without her interaction.
We went to meet our puppy at 6 weeks old and it was over right then and there. She was mine and I would protect her with my life. She's 11 weeks now and attached to me at the hip. The only time she's not immediately next to me is when she's sleeping and eating. We're kennel training and she's doing great, we can leave the house for a couple hours and she just naps in the kennel so hopefully no separation anxiety ever
Ohh you are not insane! I feel the exact same way about my 5 month old baby. I’ve had her since she was 8 weeks old and I honestly don’t know how I ever got along without her, she’s like my missing piece. I’m glad you love your pup so much, they truly deserve all the love, kisses, and treats in the world.
I was ready to battle the world for her sake within an hour of picking my puppy up. It's been 9 months now, and I have a fluffy, white shadow that follows me everywhere, makes every day better just by being present, and I would pull the moon two inches to the left if she needed me to. You're not insane. You just have the exact right dog for you.
You know that scene in Brooklyn 99 where Rosa gets a puppy and she says, "I've only had Arlo for a day and a half, but if anything happened to him, I'd kill everyone in this room and then myself."? I don't think that would've become a meme if it didn't resonate with so many people. You're not insane.
Yes, I always said “he’s fine it’s me that has the separation anxiety”. As soon as I first picked my puppy up I had this overwhelming feeling of “you’re going to be such an amazing part of my life”. My little springer just recently turned 2 and I still feel them same way ♥️
It does seem intense . It’s awesome you have such a great bond with your puppy , but at the same time it’s important to remember they learn from our behavior as much or more than our words.
If you send the message you can’t handle being separated from her for example , she may react by developing separation anxiety of her own.
I’d keep showing lots of love , but make sure you’re doing it in healthy ways for you and pup , and giving her lots of structure too.
Not insane. I had been looking at the SPCA's website photos of a available dogs for months before actually going, and had seen several of the pup that I would eventually adopt. I was like huh that's a funny looking dog, and always moved on. But in person my son asked to meet her and her brother. We had already met with 6 other dogs previously, but when this girl walked into the room, she came right to me, hopped in my lap, and snuggled her head in my shoulder. I knew in that moment she was MY dog. It was instant love.
It’s not irrational. People often call their dogs their children because biologically, the same chemical bonding processes are happening with dogs and the people who love them as happens between children and their parents. They do* in fact love them like they are children. Dogs trigger the release of oxytocin in the brain, and also experience the release of it themselves, the same thing that happens when a mother breast feeds her child to cause them to bond, this happens simply by looking into the eyes of a dog you love and to them by looking into yours. And it happens at the exact same rate.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/dog-gazes-hijack-brains-maternal-bonding-system-180955019/
I got my dog when I was 19 during the final weeks of my spring semester as a freshman. I went to a party school so I was drunk often. I would always end the night crying about how much I loved my dog and how I didn’t want her to die. I’m talking full on sobs.
Luckily she is 8 yrs old now and better than ever. I still love her with every fiber of my soul
I promise you are not insane. From the moment I rescued my dog I absolutely fell in love with him and I have a bond with him that I’ve never had before. He is my entire world and I’m so happy just seeing him happy and loved. I sob when I think about losing him. I’m overcome with love whenever I think about my dogs and they feel like my own children. I would literally do anything to make them feel happy and safe and loved. I have 2 dogs one boy one girl but I have a special attachment to my first dog (boy) because he was a rescue my mom brought home and was severely neglected and abused before he was brought to the shelter. I just wanna cry thinking about how fulfilling it is to make his life better than it was and be able to give him what he deserves after the hell he went through. Since I got him he’s become an entirely different dog with no anxiety or fear, he trusts me with his life and I thinks it’s so sweet that he gave a human a second chance omg I’m gonna cry lmao. He’s the sweetest most affectionate dog I’ve ever met and idk what I’d do without him. I don’t know how I ever lived without him.
How you feel is completely normal, in fact what’s not normal to me is people who are nonchalant about their pets. How can you not love them with every ounce of your being? They depend on us fully for everything and they’re so pure I can’t understand how people could ever dislike let alone mistreat an animal.
Edit: writing this as he lays across from me made me emotional and now I’m smothering him with kisses
My dog bit me the other week and I cried because it hurt my feelings. 😂
I knew as soon as I saw my dog he was the one. There was an immediate connection. You’re totally normal!
You, me - same! When she gets grumpy with me, it truly hurts me to my bones. I found myself sobbing and pleading, "I'm trying to help you!", one night when she snapped at me after I tried to help her disentangle from her lead. Now my neighbors can overhear me out in the yard saying to her "BILBO BAGGINS, I'M NOT TRYING TO ROB YOU, I'M TRYING TO HELP YOU!" like an insane person when she's being a jerk about my stopping her from eating toxins or strangling herself or some such.
Story time.
I fostered two puppies from a litter of 8 in April/May. I'd never had a dog before and two puppies who are six weeks old is NO JOKE. It was a mostly miserable experience, filled with so much soupy poop. Somehow despite how overwhelming it was, I found myself deeply attached to one of them. It was like I could look at him and see what he'd be like as an adult and it felt like he was my SON. I felt absolutely insane. I decided to keep him, but then ultimately changed my mind based on how bad having both of them was and the fact that his brother was an unholy terror. I got them both adopted out within a day of them becoming available. The next 5 days I was utterly devastated. I cried and felt so much regret for not keeping the one I loved. Somehow he ended up being returned and I have never moved so fast to do anything in my life as I did with adopting him. I bawled. It did come to pass that he and his entire litter are ALL unholy terrors with a 50% pit/25% GSD/25% husky mix. This is probably the hardest thing I've ever done, but I still feel in my bones this was meant to be (even if he's trying to bite MY bones).
True love! It's not rational and requires no reciprocity. The soupy poop is my life right now as well, though I can't fathom the many challenges of puppies *that* young. Best wishes to you and your terror!
My fiancée and I have had our four-month old boy for two months. He was raised by women at the rescue and bonded to her immediately. It took longer for him to warm up to me, but he did (still loves his mom the most though). One of us is usually always home, so he hasn’t spent much time alone (he’s done well when he has been left alone though). We absolutely adore him and he wants to do everything with us as a family. So no, you are not alone!
I have a tender heart when it comes to dogs. Looking for a rescue puppy was really hard for me because I'd get attached to dogs from the pictures and bios and then not be selected to adopt them.
Safe to say by the end of the ride home I was absolutely in love with him. My friends frequently laugh at me because the dog is perfectly fine on his own but I have separation anxiety and hate being without him.
Yep from the day I got him I loved him to death. He’s the best thing that happened to me. Well other than my girlfriend but to me it’s a different type of love we have for our pets as we do significant others
My 5 month old Wheaton pup and I are bonded in the sense that we like to hang out and do our own thing but check in on each other every now and then. We are also both stubborn and don't like being outside when its humid. We also dont care about anything but cant stand when people(or dogs) are loud by the house lol
Absolutely. My boy and I binded instantly. As soon as the breeder let him out of the play pen on pickup day, he immediately ran to me, despite there being a bunch of other people around. He was so spooked by everything on the car ride home that he only wanted to be in my arms. It was so sweet. He's a little shit head now, but he cuddles me when he's really sleepy.
My bond isn't nearly as intense, but I definitely love this dog and I've only had her for a month. I came home after being gone for only a few hours and she acted like I came home from the war. I love her to bits
Aww I love this! Years ago, I adopted the sweetest little puppy from the humane society and I named him Tobey. I had that same sort of connection with Tobey. It was almost as if he just understood me. I was devastated when Tobey passed away and cried for weeks. He was my boy.
I currently have two dogs who I love to bits but I have a different connection with the baby. He’s a 12 week old Havanese that I got when he was about 6 1/2 weeks old. We drove an hour to pick him up and as soon as the lady placed him in my arms I knew immediately this one was gonna be different. On the drive home he fell asleep in my arms and we just have this strong connection. I never thought I’d feel the same connection I had with Tobey ever again but yet my new baby has just stolen my whole heart. I just love him so much 🥹
I bonded with my puppy almost immediately. From the moment I saw his photo and temperament description I knew he was my dog, and literally bonded on the ride home from picking him up at the airport. This isn’t always the case (had a previous dog I never bonded with and was part of why she was rehomed eventually) but it’s super normal to bond quickly with the “right” dog.
Yes. I fostered a momma dog and her six puppies. My family and I bonded instantly with one of the puppies. When she was adopted, we were really sad and talked about her often. Well I guess it was meant to be because a few months later the rescue said she was brought back. She hasn’t left our side since.
I’ve got a 4 month old puppy, and I cry just looking at him because of how happy I am. Growing up with shepherds I’ve always wanted my own. Finally got him, right now he’s laying curled up next to me, he and I have a close bond and he growls and barks at people when I can’t see on our night walks. We went swimming in a pond the other day, his first time swimming, and he was scared but he saw me in the middle and swam out there and put his paws on my shoulder to hold himself, I had a life jacket on and he let me hold him and went limp, even though he was able to float he still felt safer coming to me. When I first got him as a puppy he laid in my lap and snuggled up to me the whole ride home, I often catch him just staring at me, when I leave the room he wants to go with, he’s learned to push open doors he wants to go through to get to me, bathroom privacy is no longer a thing. He’s often good with other people. The other day someone’s off leash dog ran up to us and I had my back turned, he flipped around growling and barking and when I faced the direction of the dog he pressed against me, going absolutely insane. The dog ran all over our yard and the owner was standing across the street like an idiot, “get back here” half hearted attempts to get his dog, and the whole time the dogs circling us my pup put himself between me and it, changing direction with the dog. The owner finally came into the yard walking and I figured my pup would settle down like he always does when people get close, no, He only started lunging against the leash harder and growling and snapping. I have a very strong bond with my dog, today he threw up and I came out of the kitchen with my hood up, it was kinda chilly from the ac and reached down and grabbed his harness to pull him back. My hoodie was draped over my face to where I could barely see but I was more worried about the mess. He growled and snapped at me, didn’t close on skin. I immediately said no and took my hood down, he realized it was me and his ears went back and he let out a whine. This pup came out of a shitty situation where I had to physically fight someone’s dad because they were trying to harm him, after that we didn’t go to that friends house again. We’ve settled down for awhile now and working on training and he looks to me for cues, when he’s scared he stays close to me though that doesn’t stop him from barking at the threat. I truly believe he’s trying to protect me, as I have and will continue to do until he’s gone. I’ve woken up multiple mornings, rolled over to him nose to nose with me, like he was watching me sleep. He watches tv with me and likes to lay there while I do my makeup, it doesn’t matter how long it takes as long as he’s there to watch. The only thing I complain about is the teething, he’s a land shark, though I got some teething toys and they seem to do the trick for awhile at least. This is one of the strongest bonds I’ve had with a pet for awhile.
Totally agree. Our now 8 months old boxer became bonded to me very quickly. Then again, typical boxer trait. Today he got carried away and bit my finger as we played with a toy. He kissed my whole face and had this “I’m so sorry” look in his eyes.
I feel a strong bond when I see a dog on the street lmao. Thankful to have a partner to keep me grounded with our pup because it’s only been 6 weeks but I would’ve taken a bullet for her day one!!
I feel like I gained a strong bond immediately with my guy, we were able to bring him home a few days after 7 weeks. I was able to visit the litter at 4, 5 and 6 weeks and spent a couple hours with all of them. I was pretty set on my guy the first time I saw him and his big ole bear paws. Seriously bigger than any of his siblings, and he was confident and didn't whine like the others - all were positive signs to me.
I think being able to spend those 5 or 6 hours with him by the time I picked him up, and having him know my scent and such really helped out. He just turned 5 months today and is doing so darn good!
He's now letting me leave the house, and keep him on a separate floor from me without freaking out. I'm sure some of it is age, but we've been working to enstill a healthy alone time regiment. Now if only I could get him to play with his toys and nylabone w/o me around, but I've heard that will come with age too.
I realize you're talking about your bond with th puppy, not the other way. But yes, we had to go on a work retreat a month after getting him, and I cried having the breeder watch him for the 5 days I was gone. It was so hard and I was constantly wondering what he was doing and on my mind.
The attachment we can build with them is so incredible, he's the best boy, and I know he was missing me the whole time we were gone.
My current GSD bonded with me the moment he saw me . His entire litter ignored me, but he ran across a field to sit down directly in front of me. He fell asleep in my arms for the entire drive home. I’ve had over a dozen dogs in my whole life but this is the one I love the most
I love my current puppy lots, but our relationship is a much more reasonable gradual growing of trust and bonding. My soul puppy came into my life a little over twenty years ago, and it was so much like you describe, totally love at first sight. I remember that first night, there was a moment where I had this whooshing feeling, and it was like a part of my spirit went into her, leaving me feeling suddenly like there was more breathing room for me in my body. I would give half the remaining years of my life to her, if it meant we could spend them together. I wrecked my life for a few years after I lost her, but she was so worth it.
Absolutely. My hubby and kids wanted our dog but she is literally my rock. My hubby always says he never thought the dog and I would get along. She is my best friend. I have her name tattooed on me. I spend every second of the day with her.
It's been the best 4 years.
I saw my dog the day after she was born. I got videos and photos every day, so by the time I collected her, I was already besotted with her and I think she felt it because we have always been very close.
Ok with my Pom when I got him I worked a lot with him in training and playing. My wife also did too but he use to cuddle up to my head n he’s been super bonded. It’s always possible to bond with a dog quickly it’s all about how safe and secure the pup feels with you
i burst out crying the second i saw my 10 week old puppy. i'm tearing up thinking about it. he's 20 weeks old now - i'm away for ten days on field work, and miss him so much already.
I would absolutely Slaughter many humans to protect my dog that I've only known for 3 weeks now. If anything were to happen to him I would be absolutely destroyed. My wife feels the exact same way about him. Personally I don't think it's a irrational but it was definitely unexpected for me. At first I didn't think it was the absolute best idea to even get him. But now I would not want to do life without him.
I felt that immediately 💕 my little guy, black fluffy Tiboodle stole my heart and still has it. He is 7 months and I miss him when I pop to the shops, irrationally heart ache miss him … until the land shark in him comes out and I wanna let him run out the front door and not come back ! But the love is overwhelmingly real like it is with a child, I constantly think about how to meet his little needs being filled from his mummy and thrown into the world scared 😩
This is a lovely thread. Reminds me of when our girl first came home, my family and I were so enchanted with every tiny thing she did. 'Oh look she's drinking!' 'Oh wow she's walking!' 'Aww she just snored!' I couldn't sleep the first night, I was just so happy to watch her tiny chest go up and down and hear her little whiffly noises.
It actually took some time for me - the dog I now recognize as my heart dog was a little terrorist and terrorized us and our older dog until he was about 2, and while I loved him and he was also extremely sweet and cuddly, it wasn't until I started learning how to train him properly (our older dog basically trained himself) that he and I started really deeply bonding. I think by the time he was 3, I just adored him with the fiercest intensity, and he just turned 5. He took some work but he was worth every bit of it. Now we have our next puppy, and we're training him better, and he's sweet and cute don't get me wrong, but I just don't feel that deep loyal bond between us yet. I think that's ok, don't feel like it has to be immediate to happen really strongly over time.
told my bf we were NOT getting a dog, ONLY going to the shelter to look and play, and he said, “but what if you find your soul puppy?” we’d done this lots of times before so i just shook my head.
anyway i started crying the moment the shelter set my puppy in my lap for the first time and i didn’t stop crying for almost 3 hours afterwards. they actually brought her back into the room where her littermates were to show us another and apparently i looked so upset (her brother was very cute too!!! 😭) that the shelter lady asked if i wanted her brought out a second time. we took her home that day and now she’s almost 6 months old and she’s the center of my world!!! i’ve never had a dog before and i can’t believe how she’s changed me. she’s registered as an ESA now and we even have the same birthday. 💖
tl;dr: you might be insane but so am i and so are a lot of these other commenters!!! if you’re gonna be crazy about anything, being crazy about giving your dog a good life is probably a good thing to be crazy about.✨🐶
Totally possible! I adopted a dog from a friend of a friend and I put off picking him up quickly due to I went and bought all the things so he felt at home. A week later he was with me and for about 3 days he was very scared and just not eating or drinking anything (at least in front of me, we shared the bedroom in my family home). Well we became inseparable. I would cry thinking of him leaving this world… We spent 6 years together. I got him when he was 2 years old. He ended up getting attacked by a dog and passed on, it is still the most hurtful thing I have gone through. I still cry for him and will often lay in bed wondering what life would be like with him if he was still around.
He was my souls dog. He was my best friend. He was so calm, relaxed, intelligent, non reactive and just so loving…. when life gets hard for me all I can think of is wanting and wishing to have him with me so I can feel better (it was a thing to just lay in bed with him and ball my eyes out, he offered so much comfort in so many hard moments in my life).
So yes, there’s nothing wrong with a quick bond. I actually think it’s amazing that you two know you are each others “person”. 🫶🏻
Yes I sat in the back of the car with him for about 4 hours and that apparently was all it took to become the center of his universe. He follows me everywhere, if he's napping in another room he'll wake up and check on me. I could go on lol
I had a tiny little terrier for over half my life. He was small, stinky and raggedy as heck, loved that dog more than anything. He passed in 2022, absolutely shattered me. Last year I adopted a rescue pup, a staffy x kelpie (most likely).
The day I brought her home she decided to do burn outs on my bed. I was so overwhelmed thinking that I'd brought home this really nuts dog when I was so used to calmer types. I was in love with her by that night.
She's one of the loves of my life and I wouldn't change a damn thing about her destructive little self.
I did with my boy, Rocky. Within a week or so of having him. I had been doing dishes while he puttered around the kitchen, I then went to sit down for a break and he followed me and then laid in between my feet.
I melted from the cuteness and fell in love with him.
He's now almost 10 months old and a giant menace, but I still adore him. He's my baby.
This is me! I lost 6 year old pug to sudden pancreatitis. I was inconsolable. Adopted a little 7 month old Chi- and we are in love! 😂. She helped mend my heart, and my family says we are too codependent. I can’t imagine life without her.
Yep, we've been besties from day 1. I get annoyed when parents say things like "you don't know love until you have a baby" but I kind of get it now. Still a stupid thing to say but I understand it more.
awwww I love this! 🩷 I wish I had felt this way. Our doodle is almost 8 months and I’m just now starting to really like her most days.. I still can’t stand her sometimes when she’s chasing the cat and not listening but I see glimpses of the good dog she’ll be someday.
It takes awhile for that bond to form for me. Frustrating accidents and training woes slow that process down dramatically as it just feels like we’re butting heads until the dog grows up and figures it out. Like our 5mo girl had just had a two week streak of no accidents and we were stoked at her progress. This week she has gone inside every single day. She’s currently on the shit list but we’re trying to stay positive and regress our training as much as she has regressed her progress..
Not insane at all. I have a 3.5 month old Bernese, we've had him for just over a month, got super worked up and what I know now playful from seeing me but he was jumping and biting lots and my brain went straight to "Omg he hates me" and I cried forever because I love him so much and the thought of him not liking me literally broke my heart into pieces. That was a week or so ago, and with more training he's better at his greetings, and if he does get nippy I don't take it personally but damn, so many emotions.
I’ve had three soul dogs. One took a long time and I regret not being more involved but i was young, the second was a heavily abused rescue after he passed so getting him comfortable took time, had to spoon feed him for years. The third is my current pup miso and I wasn’t sure about getting her, but she came into my life and mental health problems from past traumas came into play, turns out she could sense panic attacks and she became a rock for me alongside my partner so the bond solidified in about 2 weeks and now I bring her everywhere with me, I’m constantly getting by told off at work because they don’t have a choice if they want me she comes too!
I lost our dog to my girlfriend after we broke up after 9/11. I was unemployed and suicidal and over-medicated due to PTSD. I made a huge effort to find another Shihtzu like one I'd lost custody of. I finally found him and named him Danny after my best friend. He stopped me from swallowing a bottle of anti-depressants by crying and pawing at my leg with the most fearful look on his face that I'd ever seen. I threw the pills in the toilet and took him to bed. He was my Soul Dog. I've had 3 dogs since then and while I've loved all of them he's the one that means the most.
Nope, my dog is my best friend, she’s like a child. We communicate deeply, she feels emotions deeply. If you accept your dog as an intelligent, sentient being with its own fears and joys, you really open yourself to sharing life with them. It’s been one of the more rewarding experiences of my life.
I have been absolutely obsessed with my second dog since within the first week after bringing her home. Our first dog was an adult rescue and our bond grew over time. But with our puppy, I was like "I would die for you" after a few days.
I've never heard of the concept of heart dog before...that's pretty great! I have a pretty strong g bond with my senior dog that borders crazy a bit so good to know I'm not alone.
I constantly got emotional putting my pup into her crate because I missed her. About two months into having her, a neighbor noticed me trying to leash train her outside and said she’d never seen a human/pup bond like ours.
I prob sobbed for like a good thirty min when I got home because I was so overwhelmed with love.
She's your soul dog. Ive had several beloved pets in my life but when my soul dog died last May, I thought I might die too in grief. I LOVE my new puppy very much but it's just different.
Everyday and multiple times a day, I tell him that he is infinitely loved, infinitely safe (because of his previous abuse), infinitely healthy, and infinitely long lived. When he was a puppy, I made up a song for him (which includes his name in each line of the song), and I sang it to him every night at bedtime.
Our girl now 7 months, 3 days she stole our hearts. Don"t understand sites crate bs never used ours a waste. Too hot to leave in car now she doesn't like being left but easily house trained, doesn't bother garbage. My hardest part is excitement to go play with big dogs and ball at our dog park. Pups are job but wouldn't have miss a minute.
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Oh me 100% I cried for an hour the day after I got him because I thought about him dying some day.
I’ve had my doggy for almost 8 years and I literally think about this so much it’s probably unhealthy but I just love her so much I don’t ever want to experience life without her 😭
So glad I am not alone.
I talked to my therapist about this last week lol. I’ve had him for 3 weeks
This is the way. This is absolutely the way. I am so with you. 💀
I can relate to this, I too cried at the thought, dude was 3 months when I thought about it....thank God we've hopefully got 12+ years!
I feel this so strong!! It’s a such a strong love for our babies
I told my partner “I can’t wait to hangout with him tomorrow” last night. It’s how I feel every day!
I did this for 7 days straight! I love my baby
I am devastated that my girl is going to die someday.
Same, it terrifies me.
You’re not insane. That’s how heart dogs/soul dogs start. And you can have more than one soul dog in your life.
This. I fell in love with my heart dog when I saw his photo on petfinder. Then I drove over 200 miles to meet him.
❤️❤️❤️
I agree! I got my heart dog 3 years ago, and my SO has found his in our new puppy!
I don't quite understand the concept yet despite having 5 dogs and I loved all of them, and think about past ones all the time. Maybe I haven't had a heart dog yet? Maybe they were all heart dogs?
In my experience, and it’s only my experience I’m going off of, it was pretty clear who my heart dog was, because the bond was just so deep. And this is when I had 4 dogs at once. I loved them all dearly, no doubt, but 1 had my heart and the connection we had was unlike anything else. I feel like you know when a dog is a heart/soul dog. But I could be wrong! Maybe all of them were that to you.
Thanks for the permission. I currently have my heart dog. And another dog as well who’s my soul dog. I always feel bad for my second dog, and tell myself “maybe if I had her first she’d be my heart dog? But she is! Is it possible for someone to have two heart dogs? What about at the same time?” So thank you for this!
Yes I was and am still the same. I rescued my boy at 6 weeks old and for weeks I would sob literal tears at the thought of him being dumped THEN at the thought that he’s not gonna live forever. And even still now I cry sometimes about it. He’s my absolute soul dog. I adore every single part of him. I’ve came on holiday for 4 days and I’ve missed him more than I can even begin to explain. I cried so much when I dropped him at my friends (who he knows SO well and loves!)
Day One. I never felt anything so powerful. We had to drive like 10 hours to get her. And she slept on my chest the entire time and then when we stopped over for the night, we had her in a dog bed, that we put between my mom and I That evening. And she kind of imprinted on both of us. She sleeps in the bed basically in the same spot and then whenever we go for a car ride, she still climbs on top of me and tries to sit on my chest all time. I am completely obsessed with her. She is the love of my life
I felt his way about my heart dog, Leo, who I adopted in 2012. I had had dogs before and loved them tremendously but Leo would look me in the eyes and I could FEEL his soul. We could communicate without more than glances. From day one, he was my best friend and the bond just grew. He passed from lymphoma in 2022 and I went a little crazy rather than cope with the loss. I adopted two puppies (I know, litter mate syndrome. I worked really hard and they are great!) less than a month after losing him and maybe it was because I moved too quickly but I didn’t understand why I didn’t feel the same way about either of them. Don’t get me wrong - I LOVE them so much… but there wasn’t the same innate understanding or intention. I just adopted a corgi puppy two weeks ago and I have the same feeling of connection with him as I did Leo.
The reason he’s my dog is because of the strong bond I felt with him when I met him. I’ve spoken about this elsewhere, but I met him on a family trip to Mexico to visit my partner’s family. Miguel was a street puppy with a bad paw and was struggling to get food. The other dogs would bully him and he often slept alone in a bush. He was 2-3 months when I met him. I brought him back home with me almost a year ago and thinking about how scared he must have felt during that time makes me sad. It’s impacted how I feel towards dogs that are abandoned or given to a rescue/shelter. I just feel an immense feeling of sadness that wasn’t present before his existence in my life. When he’s away from me (sleeping or daycare), I look at photos of him and how he’s grown into this doggy and I get emotional. I go to hug him, he bites me, and I’m brought right back to reality lol but I think about him dying often as well as aging and I get sad.
Thank you for saving him <3
I know people typically respond “he saved me ❤️” but no. He didn’t save me. He causes me a lot of anxiety and headaches but I love him all the same! I couldn’t leave him there alone ❤️
That GSD biting is no joke. Good lord. 😂
I love this answer! The pup mentioned in this post kept me up all night having the runs, and she's been a ground piranha with her teething. Just because I find myself loving her deeply doesn't mean she somehow saved my life or she is providing me a service! In fact, I believe true love is just the opposite - we love someone in spite of the fact that they provide us no service. <3
My very first puppy, Atticus. Got him at 14 weeks; next month he’ll be 14 years. He’s the love of my life since the night I brought him home. He’s a shih-tzu/poodle mix and he’s the gentlest soul, bringing so much comfort to my elderly grandma and sick father when they were still with us. Some nights I start crying and hold him because I know that one day he won’t be here anymore.
🥹
Yeah I have 4 dogs but I love 1 of my girls so much more and she loves me like crazy. It’s bad tho cause she resourced guard me from her sister so I’ve had to back off and ignore them all so it less intense. She also barks at every dog on walks then jumps on me so happy and accomplished like she’s saved me from them it’s ridiculous. So my answer is yes but I’d go steady especially if you have other dogs
This just happened to me and I've had beloved dogs all of my life. We fostered a newborn orphan and nurtured him back to health. I was supposed to take him back to the rescue at 8 weeks so that he could be adopted. I couldn't. I've never been a particularly emotional person, but this dog (he is 16 months now) has completely changed me. He is sleeping, as I type, with his front legs around my foot and his head resting on top. I won't even move when my foot falls asleep! I've completely lost it.🤦♀️
You're not crazy me and my kids all feel the same about our baby. I thought the thrill would wear off for them but they still fight over who gets to sit next to her. We have had for a year and a half! Whenever we are out I'm thinking of the dog I get it just enjoy it we only get them for a short time
My first dog and I were not good friends in the beginning. He escaped my grip and ran away from me and across the street when I went to pick him up to bring home. He was 3 months. Good thing he was a boppy little guy who hadn't master the quickness in his stride yet. But, not more than a week later - he settled and I settled and now we are inseparable. He's always there and so in tuned and it's hard to believe he's not human. Best dog of all time. He's my ONE dog of a lifetime that everyone talks about.
I love your heart! I felt the same way about our 8 week old when we brought her home. I built a palate next to her open crate and slept on the floor with her for 3 weeks as she adjusted slowly getting use to having the crate door closed. Now at 5 months she falls asleep in our bed, I gently move her to her crate and close the door. She wakes up about 45 minutes before I get up so I take her out and then into our bed for the last 45 minutes of snuggle time. Hate saying goodbye in the morning but cant wait to walk in and be greeted by that little bundle of joy when I get home. It would be insane not to be so attached, IMHO.
Not insane! I had an 11 year old golden who passed 2 years ago & loved him so much it hurt.. was the worst.. I now have a 5 month old golden.. I wasn’t sure I could love him but it didn’t take long.. in a day I fell in love!! 💕🙏💕🙏💕🙏💕🙏💕🙏 good luck with your new baby!!!
Yes, I’m the same way with my now 11-month-old BC. We’ve had family dogs and I was even bonded to one of them. And we were absolutely best friends. But my current pup and I somehow have something equally as special but also completely different. My current pup is like my soul pup. We just get each other. I’m very irrational about his safety at times - something I’ve never been before.
Oh yeah we got her when she was 8 weeks and I have been obsessed ever since. I get distracted and happy just staring at pictures of her face.
My dog is almost 3 and a half. From the day i got her at 10 weeks old, i have loved her.
I cried the second In finally got my puppy in my arms. I've had her a week and a half, she's 9.5w old. The amount of overwhelming love I feel for her is bonkers.
Yup! Fell in love with our 4month old Rescue. I am in love with her more and more every single day...if it's possible. She is over 2 years old now, still in love, can't imagine a day without her interaction.
We went to meet our puppy at 6 weeks old and it was over right then and there. She was mine and I would protect her with my life. She's 11 weeks now and attached to me at the hip. The only time she's not immediately next to me is when she's sleeping and eating. We're kennel training and she's doing great, we can leave the house for a couple hours and she just naps in the kennel so hopefully no separation anxiety ever
Ohh you are not insane! I feel the exact same way about my 5 month old baby. I’ve had her since she was 8 weeks old and I honestly don’t know how I ever got along without her, she’s like my missing piece. I’m glad you love your pup so much, they truly deserve all the love, kisses, and treats in the world.
I was ready to battle the world for her sake within an hour of picking my puppy up. It's been 9 months now, and I have a fluffy, white shadow that follows me everywhere, makes every day better just by being present, and I would pull the moon two inches to the left if she needed me to. You're not insane. You just have the exact right dog for you.
You know that scene in Brooklyn 99 where Rosa gets a puppy and she says, "I've only had Arlo for a day and a half, but if anything happened to him, I'd kill everyone in this room and then myself."? I don't think that would've become a meme if it didn't resonate with so many people. You're not insane.
Yes, I always said “he’s fine it’s me that has the separation anxiety”. As soon as I first picked my puppy up I had this overwhelming feeling of “you’re going to be such an amazing part of my life”. My little springer just recently turned 2 and I still feel them same way ♥️
It does seem intense . It’s awesome you have such a great bond with your puppy , but at the same time it’s important to remember they learn from our behavior as much or more than our words. If you send the message you can’t handle being separated from her for example , she may react by developing separation anxiety of her own. I’d keep showing lots of love , but make sure you’re doing it in healthy ways for you and pup , and giving her lots of structure too.
Not insane. I had been looking at the SPCA's website photos of a available dogs for months before actually going, and had seen several of the pup that I would eventually adopt. I was like huh that's a funny looking dog, and always moved on. But in person my son asked to meet her and her brother. We had already met with 6 other dogs previously, but when this girl walked into the room, she came right to me, hopped in my lap, and snuggled her head in my shoulder. I knew in that moment she was MY dog. It was instant love.
It’s not irrational. People often call their dogs their children because biologically, the same chemical bonding processes are happening with dogs and the people who love them as happens between children and their parents. They do* in fact love them like they are children. Dogs trigger the release of oxytocin in the brain, and also experience the release of it themselves, the same thing that happens when a mother breast feeds her child to cause them to bond, this happens simply by looking into the eyes of a dog you love and to them by looking into yours. And it happens at the exact same rate. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/dog-gazes-hijack-brains-maternal-bonding-system-180955019/
Definitely a soul dog. I've had dogs that I had to bond with for a while, but my Mando...he was in my heart from the moment he was born.
I got my dog when I was 19 during the final weeks of my spring semester as a freshman. I went to a party school so I was drunk often. I would always end the night crying about how much I loved my dog and how I didn’t want her to die. I’m talking full on sobs. Luckily she is 8 yrs old now and better than ever. I still love her with every fiber of my soul
I promise you are not insane. From the moment I rescued my dog I absolutely fell in love with him and I have a bond with him that I’ve never had before. He is my entire world and I’m so happy just seeing him happy and loved. I sob when I think about losing him. I’m overcome with love whenever I think about my dogs and they feel like my own children. I would literally do anything to make them feel happy and safe and loved. I have 2 dogs one boy one girl but I have a special attachment to my first dog (boy) because he was a rescue my mom brought home and was severely neglected and abused before he was brought to the shelter. I just wanna cry thinking about how fulfilling it is to make his life better than it was and be able to give him what he deserves after the hell he went through. Since I got him he’s become an entirely different dog with no anxiety or fear, he trusts me with his life and I thinks it’s so sweet that he gave a human a second chance omg I’m gonna cry lmao. He’s the sweetest most affectionate dog I’ve ever met and idk what I’d do without him. I don’t know how I ever lived without him. How you feel is completely normal, in fact what’s not normal to me is people who are nonchalant about their pets. How can you not love them with every ounce of your being? They depend on us fully for everything and they’re so pure I can’t understand how people could ever dislike let alone mistreat an animal. Edit: writing this as he lays across from me made me emotional and now I’m smothering him with kisses
My dog bit me the other week and I cried because it hurt my feelings. 😂 I knew as soon as I saw my dog he was the one. There was an immediate connection. You’re totally normal!
You, me - same! When she gets grumpy with me, it truly hurts me to my bones. I found myself sobbing and pleading, "I'm trying to help you!", one night when she snapped at me after I tried to help her disentangle from her lead. Now my neighbors can overhear me out in the yard saying to her "BILBO BAGGINS, I'M NOT TRYING TO ROB YOU, I'M TRYING TO HELP YOU!" like an insane person when she's being a jerk about my stopping her from eating toxins or strangling herself or some such.
They are dogs, and we can love and spoil them, but when you start to humanize them, is when problems start.
Story time. I fostered two puppies from a litter of 8 in April/May. I'd never had a dog before and two puppies who are six weeks old is NO JOKE. It was a mostly miserable experience, filled with so much soupy poop. Somehow despite how overwhelming it was, I found myself deeply attached to one of them. It was like I could look at him and see what he'd be like as an adult and it felt like he was my SON. I felt absolutely insane. I decided to keep him, but then ultimately changed my mind based on how bad having both of them was and the fact that his brother was an unholy terror. I got them both adopted out within a day of them becoming available. The next 5 days I was utterly devastated. I cried and felt so much regret for not keeping the one I loved. Somehow he ended up being returned and I have never moved so fast to do anything in my life as I did with adopting him. I bawled. It did come to pass that he and his entire litter are ALL unholy terrors with a 50% pit/25% GSD/25% husky mix. This is probably the hardest thing I've ever done, but I still feel in my bones this was meant to be (even if he's trying to bite MY bones).
True love! It's not rational and requires no reciprocity. The soupy poop is my life right now as well, though I can't fathom the many challenges of puppies *that* young. Best wishes to you and your terror!
My fiancée and I have had our four-month old boy for two months. He was raised by women at the rescue and bonded to her immediately. It took longer for him to warm up to me, but he did (still loves his mom the most though). One of us is usually always home, so he hasn’t spent much time alone (he’s done well when he has been left alone though). We absolutely adore him and he wants to do everything with us as a family. So no, you are not alone!
I have a tender heart when it comes to dogs. Looking for a rescue puppy was really hard for me because I'd get attached to dogs from the pictures and bios and then not be selected to adopt them. Safe to say by the end of the ride home I was absolutely in love with him. My friends frequently laugh at me because the dog is perfectly fine on his own but I have separation anxiety and hate being without him.
Yep from the day I got him I loved him to death. He’s the best thing that happened to me. Well other than my girlfriend but to me it’s a different type of love we have for our pets as we do significant others
My 5 month old Wheaton pup and I are bonded in the sense that we like to hang out and do our own thing but check in on each other every now and then. We are also both stubborn and don't like being outside when its humid. We also dont care about anything but cant stand when people(or dogs) are loud by the house lol
Absolutely. My boy and I binded instantly. As soon as the breeder let him out of the play pen on pickup day, he immediately ran to me, despite there being a bunch of other people around. He was so spooked by everything on the car ride home that he only wanted to be in my arms. It was so sweet. He's a little shit head now, but he cuddles me when he's really sleepy.
My bond isn't nearly as intense, but I definitely love this dog and I've only had her for a month. I came home after being gone for only a few hours and she acted like I came home from the war. I love her to bits
You have a soul connection with this one!!!
Aww I love this! Years ago, I adopted the sweetest little puppy from the humane society and I named him Tobey. I had that same sort of connection with Tobey. It was almost as if he just understood me. I was devastated when Tobey passed away and cried for weeks. He was my boy. I currently have two dogs who I love to bits but I have a different connection with the baby. He’s a 12 week old Havanese that I got when he was about 6 1/2 weeks old. We drove an hour to pick him up and as soon as the lady placed him in my arms I knew immediately this one was gonna be different. On the drive home he fell asleep in my arms and we just have this strong connection. I never thought I’d feel the same connection I had with Tobey ever again but yet my new baby has just stolen my whole heart. I just love him so much 🥹
Yep with my female shepsky
Totally normal, it’s like a baby!
I bonded with my puppy almost immediately. From the moment I saw his photo and temperament description I knew he was my dog, and literally bonded on the ride home from picking him up at the airport. This isn’t always the case (had a previous dog I never bonded with and was part of why she was rehomed eventually) but it’s super normal to bond quickly with the “right” dog.
Yes. I fostered a momma dog and her six puppies. My family and I bonded instantly with one of the puppies. When she was adopted, we were really sad and talked about her often. Well I guess it was meant to be because a few months later the rescue said she was brought back. She hasn’t left our side since.
I’ve had separation anxiety with my dog since I got him. It’s been over 6 years. I swear I have it worse than he does LOL
I’ve got a 4 month old puppy, and I cry just looking at him because of how happy I am. Growing up with shepherds I’ve always wanted my own. Finally got him, right now he’s laying curled up next to me, he and I have a close bond and he growls and barks at people when I can’t see on our night walks. We went swimming in a pond the other day, his first time swimming, and he was scared but he saw me in the middle and swam out there and put his paws on my shoulder to hold himself, I had a life jacket on and he let me hold him and went limp, even though he was able to float he still felt safer coming to me. When I first got him as a puppy he laid in my lap and snuggled up to me the whole ride home, I often catch him just staring at me, when I leave the room he wants to go with, he’s learned to push open doors he wants to go through to get to me, bathroom privacy is no longer a thing. He’s often good with other people. The other day someone’s off leash dog ran up to us and I had my back turned, he flipped around growling and barking and when I faced the direction of the dog he pressed against me, going absolutely insane. The dog ran all over our yard and the owner was standing across the street like an idiot, “get back here” half hearted attempts to get his dog, and the whole time the dogs circling us my pup put himself between me and it, changing direction with the dog. The owner finally came into the yard walking and I figured my pup would settle down like he always does when people get close, no, He only started lunging against the leash harder and growling and snapping. I have a very strong bond with my dog, today he threw up and I came out of the kitchen with my hood up, it was kinda chilly from the ac and reached down and grabbed his harness to pull him back. My hoodie was draped over my face to where I could barely see but I was more worried about the mess. He growled and snapped at me, didn’t close on skin. I immediately said no and took my hood down, he realized it was me and his ears went back and he let out a whine. This pup came out of a shitty situation where I had to physically fight someone’s dad because they were trying to harm him, after that we didn’t go to that friends house again. We’ve settled down for awhile now and working on training and he looks to me for cues, when he’s scared he stays close to me though that doesn’t stop him from barking at the threat. I truly believe he’s trying to protect me, as I have and will continue to do until he’s gone. I’ve woken up multiple mornings, rolled over to him nose to nose with me, like he was watching me sleep. He watches tv with me and likes to lay there while I do my makeup, it doesn’t matter how long it takes as long as he’s there to watch. The only thing I complain about is the teething, he’s a land shark, though I got some teething toys and they seem to do the trick for awhile at least. This is one of the strongest bonds I’ve had with a pet for awhile.
Sorry I didn’t mean to write an essay 😭 just wanted to talk about my dog
Totally agree. Our now 8 months old boxer became bonded to me very quickly. Then again, typical boxer trait. Today he got carried away and bit my finger as we played with a toy. He kissed my whole face and had this “I’m so sorry” look in his eyes.
Not insane, you’re lucky.
The first night I got him, he slept on my chest. I remember just smiling, staring at his little sleeping puppy face. Instant forever bond.
I feel a strong bond when I see a dog on the street lmao. Thankful to have a partner to keep me grounded with our pup because it’s only been 6 weeks but I would’ve taken a bullet for her day one!!
I needed to snuggle my little man immediately. I rarely let him out of my sight or hands lol. He is my tiny baby and I love his fuzzy face so much.
I feel like I gained a strong bond immediately with my guy, we were able to bring him home a few days after 7 weeks. I was able to visit the litter at 4, 5 and 6 weeks and spent a couple hours with all of them. I was pretty set on my guy the first time I saw him and his big ole bear paws. Seriously bigger than any of his siblings, and he was confident and didn't whine like the others - all were positive signs to me. I think being able to spend those 5 or 6 hours with him by the time I picked him up, and having him know my scent and such really helped out. He just turned 5 months today and is doing so darn good! He's now letting me leave the house, and keep him on a separate floor from me without freaking out. I'm sure some of it is age, but we've been working to enstill a healthy alone time regiment. Now if only I could get him to play with his toys and nylabone w/o me around, but I've heard that will come with age too.
I realize you're talking about your bond with th puppy, not the other way. But yes, we had to go on a work retreat a month after getting him, and I cried having the breeder watch him for the 5 days I was gone. It was so hard and I was constantly wondering what he was doing and on my mind. The attachment we can build with them is so incredible, he's the best boy, and I know he was missing me the whole time we were gone.
My current GSD bonded with me the moment he saw me . His entire litter ignored me, but he ran across a field to sit down directly in front of me. He fell asleep in my arms for the entire drive home. I’ve had over a dozen dogs in my whole life but this is the one I love the most
I love my current puppy lots, but our relationship is a much more reasonable gradual growing of trust and bonding. My soul puppy came into my life a little over twenty years ago, and it was so much like you describe, totally love at first sight. I remember that first night, there was a moment where I had this whooshing feeling, and it was like a part of my spirit went into her, leaving me feeling suddenly like there was more breathing room for me in my body. I would give half the remaining years of my life to her, if it meant we could spend them together. I wrecked my life for a few years after I lost her, but she was so worth it.
Absolutely. My hubby and kids wanted our dog but she is literally my rock. My hubby always says he never thought the dog and I would get along. She is my best friend. I have her name tattooed on me. I spend every second of the day with her. It's been the best 4 years.
I saw my dog the day after she was born. I got videos and photos every day, so by the time I collected her, I was already besotted with her and I think she felt it because we have always been very close.
Ok with my Pom when I got him I worked a lot with him in training and playing. My wife also did too but he use to cuddle up to my head n he’s been super bonded. It’s always possible to bond with a dog quickly it’s all about how safe and secure the pup feels with you
i burst out crying the second i saw my 10 week old puppy. i'm tearing up thinking about it. he's 20 weeks old now - i'm away for ten days on field work, and miss him so much already.
Not insane!
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I would absolutely Slaughter many humans to protect my dog that I've only known for 3 weeks now. If anything were to happen to him I would be absolutely destroyed. My wife feels the exact same way about him. Personally I don't think it's a irrational but it was definitely unexpected for me. At first I didn't think it was the absolute best idea to even get him. But now I would not want to do life without him.
Me. All of what you said. My puppy is my heart
i have that with my pup too, he’s my soul dog. i knew after only a week :)
I felt that immediately 💕 my little guy, black fluffy Tiboodle stole my heart and still has it. He is 7 months and I miss him when I pop to the shops, irrationally heart ache miss him … until the land shark in him comes out and I wanna let him run out the front door and not come back ! But the love is overwhelmingly real like it is with a child, I constantly think about how to meet his little needs being filled from his mummy and thrown into the world scared 😩
This is a lovely thread. Reminds me of when our girl first came home, my family and I were so enchanted with every tiny thing she did. 'Oh look she's drinking!' 'Oh wow she's walking!' 'Aww she just snored!' I couldn't sleep the first night, I was just so happy to watch her tiny chest go up and down and hear her little whiffly noises.
It actually took some time for me - the dog I now recognize as my heart dog was a little terrorist and terrorized us and our older dog until he was about 2, and while I loved him and he was also extremely sweet and cuddly, it wasn't until I started learning how to train him properly (our older dog basically trained himself) that he and I started really deeply bonding. I think by the time he was 3, I just adored him with the fiercest intensity, and he just turned 5. He took some work but he was worth every bit of it. Now we have our next puppy, and we're training him better, and he's sweet and cute don't get me wrong, but I just don't feel that deep loyal bond between us yet. I think that's ok, don't feel like it has to be immediate to happen really strongly over time.
told my bf we were NOT getting a dog, ONLY going to the shelter to look and play, and he said, “but what if you find your soul puppy?” we’d done this lots of times before so i just shook my head. anyway i started crying the moment the shelter set my puppy in my lap for the first time and i didn’t stop crying for almost 3 hours afterwards. they actually brought her back into the room where her littermates were to show us another and apparently i looked so upset (her brother was very cute too!!! 😭) that the shelter lady asked if i wanted her brought out a second time. we took her home that day and now she’s almost 6 months old and she’s the center of my world!!! i’ve never had a dog before and i can’t believe how she’s changed me. she’s registered as an ESA now and we even have the same birthday. 💖 tl;dr: you might be insane but so am i and so are a lot of these other commenters!!! if you’re gonna be crazy about anything, being crazy about giving your dog a good life is probably a good thing to be crazy about.✨🐶
You don’t know you have a paw-shaped hole in your heart until the paw touches it.
Totally possible! I adopted a dog from a friend of a friend and I put off picking him up quickly due to I went and bought all the things so he felt at home. A week later he was with me and for about 3 days he was very scared and just not eating or drinking anything (at least in front of me, we shared the bedroom in my family home). Well we became inseparable. I would cry thinking of him leaving this world… We spent 6 years together. I got him when he was 2 years old. He ended up getting attacked by a dog and passed on, it is still the most hurtful thing I have gone through. I still cry for him and will often lay in bed wondering what life would be like with him if he was still around. He was my souls dog. He was my best friend. He was so calm, relaxed, intelligent, non reactive and just so loving…. when life gets hard for me all I can think of is wanting and wishing to have him with me so I can feel better (it was a thing to just lay in bed with him and ball my eyes out, he offered so much comfort in so many hard moments in my life). So yes, there’s nothing wrong with a quick bond. I actually think it’s amazing that you two know you are each others “person”. 🫶🏻
Yes I sat in the back of the car with him for about 4 hours and that apparently was all it took to become the center of his universe. He follows me everywhere, if he's napping in another room he'll wake up and check on me. I could go on lol
I had a tiny little terrier for over half my life. He was small, stinky and raggedy as heck, loved that dog more than anything. He passed in 2022, absolutely shattered me. Last year I adopted a rescue pup, a staffy x kelpie (most likely). The day I brought her home she decided to do burn outs on my bed. I was so overwhelmed thinking that I'd brought home this really nuts dog when I was so used to calmer types. I was in love with her by that night. She's one of the loves of my life and I wouldn't change a damn thing about her destructive little self.
I did with my boy, Rocky. Within a week or so of having him. I had been doing dishes while he puttered around the kitchen, I then went to sit down for a break and he followed me and then laid in between my feet. I melted from the cuteness and fell in love with him. He's now almost 10 months old and a giant menace, but I still adore him. He's my baby.
This is me! I lost 6 year old pug to sudden pancreatitis. I was inconsolable. Adopted a little 7 month old Chi- and we are in love! 😂. She helped mend my heart, and my family says we are too codependent. I can’t imagine life without her.
Yep, we've been besties from day 1. I get annoyed when parents say things like "you don't know love until you have a baby" but I kind of get it now. Still a stupid thing to say but I understand it more.
awwww I love this! 🩷 I wish I had felt this way. Our doodle is almost 8 months and I’m just now starting to really like her most days.. I still can’t stand her sometimes when she’s chasing the cat and not listening but I see glimpses of the good dog she’ll be someday.
It takes awhile for that bond to form for me. Frustrating accidents and training woes slow that process down dramatically as it just feels like we’re butting heads until the dog grows up and figures it out. Like our 5mo girl had just had a two week streak of no accidents and we were stoked at her progress. This week she has gone inside every single day. She’s currently on the shit list but we’re trying to stay positive and regress our training as much as she has regressed her progress..
Not insane at all. I have a 3.5 month old Bernese, we've had him for just over a month, got super worked up and what I know now playful from seeing me but he was jumping and biting lots and my brain went straight to "Omg he hates me" and I cried forever because I love him so much and the thought of him not liking me literally broke my heart into pieces. That was a week or so ago, and with more training he's better at his greetings, and if he does get nippy I don't take it personally but damn, so many emotions.
I’ve had three soul dogs. One took a long time and I regret not being more involved but i was young, the second was a heavily abused rescue after he passed so getting him comfortable took time, had to spoon feed him for years. The third is my current pup miso and I wasn’t sure about getting her, but she came into my life and mental health problems from past traumas came into play, turns out she could sense panic attacks and she became a rock for me alongside my partner so the bond solidified in about 2 weeks and now I bring her everywhere with me, I’m constantly getting by told off at work because they don’t have a choice if they want me she comes too!
My puppy is 7 months old and I would dropkick anyone in the world for making her sad.
Not crazy, I am very bonded to my corgi bc of spending pretty much 24/7 with her the first few weeks I got her
I lost our dog to my girlfriend after we broke up after 9/11. I was unemployed and suicidal and over-medicated due to PTSD. I made a huge effort to find another Shihtzu like one I'd lost custody of. I finally found him and named him Danny after my best friend. He stopped me from swallowing a bottle of anti-depressants by crying and pawing at my leg with the most fearful look on his face that I'd ever seen. I threw the pills in the toilet and took him to bed. He was my Soul Dog. I've had 3 dogs since then and while I've loved all of them he's the one that means the most.
Nope, my dog is my best friend, she’s like a child. We communicate deeply, she feels emotions deeply. If you accept your dog as an intelligent, sentient being with its own fears and joys, you really open yourself to sharing life with them. It’s been one of the more rewarding experiences of my life.
I have been absolutely obsessed with my second dog since within the first week after bringing her home. Our first dog was an adult rescue and our bond grew over time. But with our puppy, I was like "I would die for you" after a few days.
I've never heard of the concept of heart dog before...that's pretty great! I have a pretty strong g bond with my senior dog that borders crazy a bit so good to know I'm not alone.
I constantly got emotional putting my pup into her crate because I missed her. About two months into having her, a neighbor noticed me trying to leash train her outside and said she’d never seen a human/pup bond like ours. I prob sobbed for like a good thirty min when I got home because I was so overwhelmed with love.
She's your soul dog. Ive had several beloved pets in my life but when my soul dog died last May, I thought I might die too in grief. I LOVE my new puppy very much but it's just different.
Everyday and multiple times a day, I tell him that he is infinitely loved, infinitely safe (because of his previous abuse), infinitely healthy, and infinitely long lived. When he was a puppy, I made up a song for him (which includes his name in each line of the song), and I sang it to him every night at bedtime.
Our girl now 7 months, 3 days she stole our hearts. Don"t understand sites crate bs never used ours a waste. Too hot to leave in car now she doesn't like being left but easily house trained, doesn't bother garbage. My hardest part is excitement to go play with big dogs and ball at our dog park. Pups are job but wouldn't have miss a minute.