Your ‘moment’ when it clicked

[LandSharksAnonymous]

I’m quite interested to know - what were peoples ‘moments’ when it all clicked and you realised you were your dogs entire world? And how old was your dog?

I’m a firm believer our love for our dogs changes and strengthens over time - and I think their love for us does as well.

I had my ‘moment’ this morning with twatface where he just clambered onto the bed, snuggled down with his head on my chest and eyes on my face, and just sighed and the way he looked at me…I just knew. Obviously, he’s loved me long before now - but today was the first time I ever really saw it on his face!

He’s just turned 2.5 but he’s a large breed so he’s also just about grown up.

Ooh, I know exactly what you're describing... the snuggling up to you with a little sigh of contentment whilst staring into your eyes with such a gentle, loving look. It's like love is just pouring out of her eyes.

I can't remember the first time it happened, it was years ago when she was young, mine is a tiny oldie now. She's been very attached to me from day 1 though, from the very, very beginning she made it very clear I was her person and she wanted to be with me above everyone else.

Completely agree with you, that our love for them changes over time. I loved mine from the beginning, but the love I have for her now is so much deeper. After years together, we understand each other so well.

There's something truly lovely about the loving, understanding and respectful relationship a person can develop with their dog and I feel so lucky to have my little dog in my life.

I adore my dog - she's lived with me since Dec 2023 when i got her from the Dogs Trust. However I'm under no illusion that I am the person she loves the most - she adores my 3 adult children and will pay way more attention to them if they are with me even the ones who she doesn't see very often. Shes the same with my colleagues at work, especially if they bring treats in for her. I'm just the person who picks up after her and feeds her and walks her every day, rain or shine! 😂😂😂

I think about 9/10 months for mine - we were on a walk, I stopped to tie up my shoes and he didn’t see me move off the path. He turned and had a look of pure panic then pure joy when he spotted me (despite DH and DC being on the walk too) and came rushing back over. I’ve seen him do it a few times since, his whole face changes into ‘everything’s ok, she’s here’

I’m still waiting!!
im the one at home all the time so I rarely get the waggy tail and crazy behaviour, yet I’m the one who literally keeps him alive.
feed times-ME
walking-ME
vets-Me
etc etc

mine is a Weimaraner, so like yours still very much a puppy.

id love to have the unconditional love that everyone else has with him, but currently feel as if im merely the dog sitter!!

i would love to be the ‘fun one’ but i seem to be relegated to the disciplinary one most of the time.

reminds me so much of being ‘just mum’ when my girls were small.
but who do they come crying to every time? ME!!

When my large rescue dog hid behind my legs when the vet got out a hose to wash the yard down after making him sick for snaffling something he shouldn't have. He trusted that I would protect him from the scary thing squirting water. (Alternative is he was sacrificing me to the hose monster first... but let's go with he trusted me!). He also dog-purrs in the evening when I stroke his belly which melts my heart a little.

Your post has made me cry, I've had dobermann dogs for most of my life and adore them, they are the most loving, loyal wonderful dogs and 14 years ago we had one female two years old who was absolutely my husbands dog when we were asked to foster a two year old male dobermann who was in dreadful condition, he was about half his recommended weight, no hair on his ears because of mites, he'd been living outside with only a pallet to sleep on and fed crusts of bread so we immediately said yes and brought him home, I made a bed in the kitchen beside the radiator for him but left the doors open and soon after we went to bed he followed us, brought him back to the kitchen and closed the doors and that's when we found out he could open doors from both sides because he followed me back to the bedroom. I gave up and moved his bed to the radiator in the bedroom but he wouldn't lie there, he'd only stay standing beside the bed, his head resting on the mattress looking at me so that's where his bed ended up with me sleeping with my arm hanging off the bed touching him. It took a long time to get him healthy, I cooked special meals, fed him every four hours to start with and rubbed his skin with oils to soften it but that look he gave me the first night was the one that meant we failed at fostering and he stayed with us until last December when he passed away aged 16. That dog gave us so much love and was absolutely brilliant with any other dogs we fostered over the years.

Probably similar age to you, OP. Mine is also a big dog.

I think when they are maturing and less stressful it all falls into place.

Love hearing these stories! There’s no better feeling in the world than a dogs love (no offence to all the partners out there - but DDogs don’t leave stinky socks on the floor…)

@drivinmecrazy it’ll come! I didn’t have the ‘moment’ with twatface’s mum until she had twatface tbh (and she was three then!).

@Mudflaps 16!!! What an age for a big dog! Sounds like he was spoilt rotten - exactly as it should be! 😍

I think when he was 6 month old.
His toilet training was solid and reliable at night so I stopped using the crate and let him sleep with me, and immediately curled up against my waist with a sigh of contentment.
He has the ability to sleep in any situation, as long as he's on my lap. Best thing ever.

I adopted my current dog at twelve weeks. He’s been a handful (more than anticipated!) but recently at about eighteen months his collar snapped on a walk, in close proximity to several other dogs. I called him and he came bounding back straightaway. I think that was the moment I realised all the effort was worth it!

First time, I'd only had him for a week. I had to travel across the country for a wedding so some very lovely friends took him for the day. I wasn't sure if he'd even miss me. I got back and he went nuts. I brought him home and he curled up in my arms with his head nuzzled under my chin - he's never lain like that before or since.

Most recently, he sat across my lap on a garden lounger in the sunshine. It's the only place he sits on my lap though he is very much a velcro dog. He gave out this enormous sigh of contentment at exactly the same time as I did.

Honestly this has been a love affair from day one. Even on the crying-in-the-shower days. I know how lucky I am.

Not my dog,but we'd had ds's dog for a week

We'd fed him,walked him,picked up his shite,played with him,gave him too many treats-everything a dog could want and more

On the day he was going home,he just seemed to know-he only ate half his breakfast and was whinging at the door (which he hadn't done all week)

We jumped on the train and was walking up to meet ds at the station

As soon as he saw ds,I was totally forgotten

The look of pure love that his dad was there and the way he clung to ds was just beautiful

He clung to ds's side all the way back home-I didn't get a backwards glance

We joke it's because we'd beaten him up all week,he was glad to go home where he's loved and not beaten (he was looked after very well and nobody showed him anything but love and affection)