Mira is almost 10 months and very playful and interactive but not very cuddly. I was wondering if dogs tend to get more affectionate when they're older, or am I raising a little hug-hater?
I think every dog is different. Lincoln is definitely a hugger. He loves to climb right up in our lap and cuddle. However our Airedale Terrier who passed away last year @ 13 years old was not a hugger at all . He was a happy dog for sure but a mr. grumpy pants when it came to snuggling. You may not have a snuggly dog right now but maybe she will change her mind when she's older.
Maybe, Maybe not. Cooper was a dervish when she was younger, but is a hugger now. She is still very active, but in the evening curls up on couch with us if we are watching TV. Tilly wants to be fairly close, but has no desire to be in your lap, or leaning against you.
I hope she turns into a cuddle-bug. I think I read somewhere that dogs don't really enjoy being hugged anyway. I had a cat once and I read that if you want your cat to be affectionate or at least not mind being touched, pet or held then you should hold them a lot as kittens, which I did. We actually had two cats from the same litter and I had one and my sister had the other one, and mine actually did turn out to be the more sociable and affectionate of the two. I don't know if the same advice would go for dogs, but I'm trying to do the same with Mira. There's a definite "thanks, but...no" vibe tho.
I have heard that dogs become more affectionate once they mature- maybe because they are less "busy?" I don't know how much truth there is in that. Chewie is a sometimes cuddler. When he was a tiny puppy he wanted to be on me at all times. Now it depends on his mood and how warm it is. Usually he is next to me, touching but not on me. Sometimes, when I'm lucky, he rests his head on my lap. I think he will snuggle more when the weather cools down. Hopefully. Although then I'll be heavily pregnant/toting a newborn so hmm...
My boy is nearly 5 and still not a hugger (unfortunately) but over the last year he does like a lot more fuss than previously, he loves to be stroked now and will lay there while I'm stroking him, but he will never sit with us he prefers his own space but at least he does stay in the same room as us so we can listen to his loud snoring
