We all love cuddling with our dogs. Part of it has to do with the warmth and affection that our pet shares with us.
But, having cuddling time with animals is therapeutic in general. This is why it can be so important to know whether your dog will love to cuddle with you or not.
On the whole, most dog breeds will like to cuddle.
But, there are some expectations to this rule. Some dogs will not like to cuddle depending on their temperament, training, and breed.
So, throughout the rest of this post, I’ll talk about sheltie dogs in particular.
You will learn whether this dog breed likes to cuddle. And I will also discuss how you can get your sheltie to cuddle with your more.
So, keep reading to find out more about shelties and their cuddling tendencies!
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So, Do Shelties Like To Cuddle With Their Owners?
You might be wondering whether shelties like to cuddle with their owners. These dogs look very fluffy and lovable, of course.
But, you have to build up your relationship with your dog first before you start cuddling with them.
This is true of most pets, really. However;
Once you gain your shelties trust and love they will definitely cuddle with you. In fact, shelties cuddle a little more than other dog breeds.
Most shelties will do this to get warm or to share their love with you.
In some cases, your dog might even do this to protect you from perceived threats.
Still, every Sheltie is different. And, your dog might not want to cuddle with you depending on their personality, as well as, other factors.
Some dogs are just more open and friendly, while other dogs can be a little more closed off.
Many shelties love to show affection, but be mindful of your dog’s personality.
You never want to force them into cuddling. In addition, the age of your dog can also affect how much they will cuddle.
For instance, when a sheltie is young and still a puppy, they might not know you well enough to cuddle.
So, you will have to be patient and let your dog come to you.
Your dog will learn to love you but they need to mature and feel secure in their home first.
Really, though, even if your dog is not open to cuddling at first, sheltie will accommodate you.
Shelties are loyal dogs that care about you and your happiness. And, they are very smart, so they will understand that you want them to cuddle with you.
It could take some time for a reserved sheltie to open up, but your pet will be more affectionate as they learn to love you!
What Are Shelties Personalities Like? Are They Naturally Affectionate Dogs?
I’ve made it sounds like Shelties won’t want to cuddle.
But the truth is that they are very affectionate dogs, and only a select few shelties might not want to cuddle with you. And, in comparison to other dogs, shelties can be the perfect family pet.
Other breeds can be rough with children and even their owners. But shelties know how to be gentle and calm around young children and adults.
In fact, you probably won’t find a dog that wants to get closer to you.
As, once these dogs are attached to you, they won’t want to be far away from their owner.
For some people shelties might be too attached, but if you love dogs and want to cuddle a lot. I would say that sheltie is one of the best breeds to get.
Some sheltie might even like to lay on your lap or next to you for over an hour.
So, if you are someone that really likes to cuddle for a long time the sheltie will meet your needs.
What Are The Benefits of Cuddling With Your Sheltie? And Why Is Cuddling So Important For Your Pet?
Shelties love to be a pet and love to get close to their owners.
But why is this the case?
Why do shelties and other dogs like to cuddle and get affection from their owners?
Well, part of this has to do with basic pet psychology.
Being close to their owner allows dogs to feel safe and loved fully.
Every animal needs some form of affection, especially if they do not have other dogs around to play with or interact with.
And, usually, you are the only living thing that can provide this safety and warmth to your dog. So, you don’t want to skip out on cuddling your dog needs it.
Whether they are feeling lonely, or just plain stressed out you can help them feel better when you pet them and cuddle with them.
And, not only will your dog benefit from this. But also you can actually benefit from regularly cuddling with your pet.
Dogs like shelties can provide positive effects on your mental health.
After a long day, you might be stressed out and unhappy. Luckily, you can reduce this stress when you spend time cuddling with your pet.
Research has shown that time spent with your dog can reduce negative emotions, and stress in general.
In other words, we all need some stress relief and your sheltie can help provide this with a cuddling session.
And really, it’s just exciting to know that you have a dog to come home to.
Who doesn’t like to have their dog wag their tail and jump for joy when they get home?
How Are Shelties With Strangers? Will They Cuddle Up With People They Don’t Know Well?
I talked about this briefly, but shelties are more likely to cuddle with people that they are familiar with and know well.
In particular, a shelties owner and their family will receive a lot of love from this breed.
But, what about strangers?
How will shelties react when someone they don’t know tries to cuddle them or pet them?
To answer this important question, let’s look at the background of the sheltie.
Sheltie Temperament
You might not know this, but the sheltie actually comes from a background of herding and labor.
These dogs were bred to help out around farms and get animals herded properly. So, shelties can be a little protective and particular about who they want around their family.
They are pack-oriented and highly sensitive to strangers. This doesn’t mean that your sheltie is dangerous, or that they will harm strangers.
But you need to be careful and watchful of your dog when they meet new people and go to new places.
In short, your dog loves you and just wants to protect you. So, they will be wary around new people.
Of course, if you want a guard dog this can be ideal for you.
But, if you have a lot of people over your house or want to go out with your dog consider training your pet well.
Otherwise, they have a tendency to bark at people they don’t know.
Again, your pet was bred for herding. So, they really know how to bark!
And, this is rare but in some instances, your dog could nip a little at strangers. Watch them and make sure they don’t do this.
However, if you train your dog early and correctly you should not have this problem at all.
The barking can be annoying, but biting and other herding habits can be trained out of your sheltie early on.
Is There A Reason That Shelties Like to Cuddle More Than Other Dog’s?
Shelties like to cuddle with their owners for all kinds of reasons.
Of course, they get to feel loved and secure when you hold them close and pet them. But, cuddling also helps you and your dog bond more fully.
Your dog wants to get close to you and they want to bond with you. Part of this has to do with their breeding and their need for a pack.
But in general, shelties are very family-oriented and like to be taken care of by their owners. Thus, they will cuddle more than other types of dog breeds.
Really, these dogs are not the most independent dogs. They need to have plenty of attention from their owner and they like being told what to do.
This is because of their herding instincts and the way they are bred to work hard alongside their owners.
In addition, your sheltie might cuddle with you to gain your attention or get something they want. Shelties know that cuddling makes their owners happy.
They are not stupid dogs, in fact, they are some of the smartest pets you will find.
So, they will do this for you in order to make you happy. This way you give them the affection and love that they want.
You could even say that cuddling changes the very structure of your dog’s brain.
Studies have shown that feel-good chemicals will release in your dog’s brain when they are cuddled and pet by their owners.
So, your dog might also seek you out to feel happier and more relaxed.
Some dogs also like to make you feel safe by cuddling as I mentioned previously. This might not make sense to you at first.
But warmth is a source of security for animals and even humans in the past. The warmer you are the less likely you are to freeze to death.
Your dog will instinctually cuddle up to you because they are trying to protect you.
Again, shelties are very loving and protective pets when it comes to their owners and family.
In What Situations Will Your Sheltie Not Want To Cuddle?
Shelties might not want to cuddle with you for all sorts of reasons.
Some dogs won’t want to cuddle in the daytime. They just might want to cuddle at night, this way they can fall asleep.
In other situations, maybe your sheltie just isn’t a big fan of being smothered. Instead, they might want to be pet instead of being cuddled.
More high-strung dogs might not want to cuddle either. Maybe you got your dog from a shelter and they have a hard time relaxing.
Or maybe your dog has anxiety issues.
Really, you should not blame yourself, some shelties just don’t like to cuddle a lot.
But consider a few factors that are within your control:
If your dog has not been socialized well they won’t be as open and confident.
So, you want to make sure that your pet meets plenty of dogs and other people when they are young.
In addition, you want to make sure that your dog gets the proper training when they are young.
If your dog runs wild and has no boundaries it can be more unruly and less likely to settle down and cuddle with you.
But, if you are too harsh on your dog this can also make them less affectionate and harder to cuddle with.
So, don’t be too punishing with your pet.
Some final issues to consider are injury and isolation. If your dog is left alone a lot and does not receive a lot of attention in general, they are more likely to be closed off.
It’s hard to cuddle with a dog that is not used to affection.
So, you need to be consistent and loving with your pet this way they are comfortable cuddling with you.
But, if your dog normally cuddles with you but won’t cuddle with you for some reason, something could be happening.
Dogs that are sick or have some kind of injury are a lot less likely to cuddle.
If you notice this sudden change in your shelties behavior, then try bringing them to the vet for a checkup.
You never want to wait for your dog to get back to normal. It’s better to just make sure that nothing is wrong with your pet by seeing a professional.
Can You Get Your Sheltie To Cuddle With You More?
If your dog is not super cuddly, you might be wondering if there is a way to make them cuddle with you.
There are a few things you can do to increase cuddle time with your sheltie. Really, training your dog yourself should help them want to cuddle with you more.
If you take on training yourself, you and your dog will grow a lot closer and this will make them want to cuddle with you.
Another thing you can do is use positive reinforcement when your dog is affectionate with you.
In particular, giving affection back to your dog when they want to be affectionate with you is good.
This will show your sheltie that affection is a positive thing. And, it will lead to more cuddling with your sheltie.
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Finally, if you want to use direct rewards for your sheltie. I recommend using treats and small snacks.
You don’t want to do this all the time, but this can be a nice way to encourage your sheltie to cuddle.
Really, though, as long as you take good care of your dog and give them food, shelter, and love they should want to cuddle with you a lot!
Conclusion
I talked about the question do shelties like to cuddle.
Usually, shelties are great to cuddle with. These dogs love to snuggle up with their owners and will show you a lot of affection and love.
However, every dog will act a little differently. So, you can’t expect that your sheltie will want to cuddle with your right away.
Especially if your dog is a puppy or you have just picked them up from the shelter. You will need to build up trust with your dog and show them that you love them!
This way they will feel comfortable cuddling with you.
In general, though, shelties are affectionate pets. They are highly reliant on their owners and don’t like to be left alone.
However, if you don’t train your dog right or socialize them well early on, you will affect your dog’s personality.
And their affection levels will be lower. So, make sure that you give your dog plenty of love, take care of them well, and train them well.
When you do all of these things then your dog is a lot more likely to cuddle with you!
