Does your dog give you a welcome when you get home?

[Freddieready]

We have a very naughty but just starting to be lovely Wire Fox Terrier who has just turned One. He is generally very playful and loves doing all the typical dog things. It is rare for him to be left behind and be alone at home however we have noticed that when we then get home he just stays in his basket and we have to almost coax him out. There is no greeting or tail wag at all. We are not used to this and wondered if it is possible to try to train him to come and say hello when either of us get home or is this something that we will just have to accept as his nature.
I have never known a loving dog not get excited when their owners return. Any opinions would be appreciated.

[fitflopqueen]

My spaniel is nearly 1 and if she is home alone for a short period she dances at the window when she sees me returning but then sits on the sofa and like yours needs a little coaxing. If she is not alone when I return home she is delighted to see me.
For everyone else i.e DH and kids she is very happy and waggy when greeting.
Think she tried to make me feel guilty for leaving her home alone.

[Freddieready]

We get nothing!!

[MikeUniformMike]

He knows that he can get your attention by ignoring you.

[MoonfaceAndSilky]

I'd say that is a bit unusual. Have you had him since he was a puppy? Maybe he is just really laid back about you leaving him. My nutty dog goes crazy when we come in.

[Scrappysmammy]

We get Scrappy wanting kisses, cuddles and petted went we've been out, even if weve only been out for 30 seconds

[StefCWS]

my spaniel spent 7 years peeing on my feet when I walked through the door, id say you have a nice laid back doggy there :-)

[AlcoChocs]

Don't try and train him to be excited when you get home.
Much better to have a dog that is calm and happy to be left and doesn't make a fuss when you get back.
My rescue used to hate being left, barked continuously and then would go into a complete frenzy greeting me when I came back.
Trainer advised me to start leaving him for just a few minutes at first, and never to say goodbye or acknowledge him when I came home, just to carry on as if I'd not been away.
It worked and now I'm really pleased to have a calm dog that ignores me when I come home .

[GinIsIn]

Could be worse - mine does the deliriously happy, hysterical greeting thing every time I even pop out of the room for a second. Believe me, it's exhausting!

[pigsDOfly]

Mine used to be like yours OP. If she was upstairs it could be ages before she'd come down and give me a sort of 'oh so you're back are you' look; no proper greeting though. I took it that it meant she was fine with being left.

She's now 5 years old and has only recently started greeting me when I come back home. She''s also started barking a bit when I'm getting ready to leave, which I'm not happy about but she stops once I've left.

Don't make a big fuss of him when you get home don't try to encourage him to greet you, much better he's calm about the whole thing, it probably means he's okay with being left.

[wineusuallyhelps]

My Labrador is 11 months old. When I get home and open the crate door, he just leans back for a tummy rub! Sometimes he will stay in there for another hour of his own accord, carrying on the snooze!

But if we all pile in the house at once and the kids are being all excitable, he does come out straight away. Similarly, he gets excited and jumpy for visitors. I'm clearly too boring....

I guess your dog is laid back like mine - I'm not knocking it!!!

[TrionicLettuce]

Ours sometimes do, sometimes don't.

They're not all left together and quite often they're more excited to see each other than they are to see us.

It's not unusual for DWhippet2 and DWhippet3 to need calling out of the room they get left in because they're nice and comfy snuggled down on their bed in front of the radiator and don't want to move

[confusedandemployed]

My lovely old boy (14) is going deaf now but he will always get up and make a little fuss when he realised I'm home. His late lamented sister would yap in a piercingly high pitched tone whilst getting right under my feet and nearly sending me arse over tit.
I know having a calm dog is what you should aim for, but I love it when he comes and welcomes me home. He's my boy and I'm just as delighted to see him.

[Twinkletowedelephant]

We've had dog for 5 weeks when I come home on my own she gets up has a stretch them comes to see me..

When the kids are with me and we get home she is happy she goes to bring them her toys and is under foot and tail going in circles.

When dh comes home it's bloody Christmas she bounces on her back legs to be picked up and snuggled she is just so so so pleased to see him.

I barely get an eye raise... especially if the radiator is on next to her bed.

Still she has to lie on my side of the bed :)

[Floralnomad]

Mine will occasionally come and see who it is but other times he waits until you have been in a few minutes and then he will get up , I think he waits to see who it is and hence if it's worth bothering . He's very good when left alone .

[Mrsmorton]

One of mine goes bananas. I'd like her not to but I'm not sure how to start...

[GinAndOnIt]

Our lab/patt gives a lovely (IMO) welcome when I get home, all skewiff tail wagging and head nudging. I love it, but I wouldn't mind if he was calm, because if I have someone else with me, he can seem a bit in-your-face when you first open the door.

[DoubleCarrick]

I think it's supposed to be a good thing if they're not bothered you're home? My boy pays little attention when I come home. When my husband comes home, however, he goes crazy and then spends the rest of his time demanding attention from DH. He just leaves me be

[Pineappletastic]

Stef hope mine grows out if it eventually! If we have visitors and they don't listen we don't brief them she climbs on the sofa arms to get greeted and pees on there

OP - I think a lot of people would give a lot for a dog that stays calm when people arrive. I'd count yourself lucky.

[willdoitinaminute]

My 10 month old lab always makes a fuss when I return home and always grabs the nearest thing to her to give to me. Usually a tea towel or her bed or just a bit of paper. All our labs have been bearers of gifts.

[DramaAlpaca]

My two springers pretty much do cartwheels when I get home, they are so happy to see me

It's a bit much tbh, I'd prefer them not to be quite so enthusiastic!

[Dementedswan]

My 16 week lab barely raises his head when I get back from the school run. Yet if I nip upstairs for a wee he's scratching at the door. I think he likes the peace after the kids stop pestering him 😂

[Freddieready]

Thanks for your thoughts, at least I know there is nothing wrong!!!!
I would not have put him as a chilled Dog but at least we will now say "That's just Freddie"

[bluetongue]

My foster greyhound was so excited for me to get home that he would bound up to a downstairs window and put his paws on the glass. I worried that he'd end up breaking the windiw because of his enthusiasm!

I think as long as your relationship is good in general then it's nothing to worry about.

[Rumtopf]

It's rare for him to be left as he comes pretty much everywhere, even for a ride in the car.
If he's been on his own though he'll vary between smothering me with love or turning his back and pointedly ignoring me.