 Barked: Sun Jan 8, '12 6:25pm PST |
 | |  | | I think the cuddliness factor of any dog has a lot to do with the dog's inherent temperament- Generally, more independent and/or dominant-ish dogs aren't as cuddly as dogs who are more focused on you/ more submissive-ish. Temperament is pretty stable, so if you have a dog who is resistant to it as a puppy early on, they might get a bit more cuddly with age but will likely never be as snuggly as a dog who enjoyed getting cuddles even as a young pup.
I remember when I first got Oogie, I was very disappointed that she was living up to her independent pom nature- absolutely not the little velcro snuggler dog I had imagined for myself. She is a little more cuddly today, but only on her own terms- she comes to you when she feels like it, and usually she just will curl up in a ball next to you, and when she feels like she's had enough she will relocate to her "corner" on the couch. She rarely likes to be spooned in your arms- she'd rather just be next to you for whatever amount of time she feels is appropriate. Strangely enough though, she LOVES to be carried around  I guess she likes seeing the world from high up!
Because I was so disappointed in how independent Oogie was developing to be, I went back to the breeder 5 weeks later and also purchased her littermate/brother, Kip- who is the exact opposite of Oogie. He is hugely affectionate, follows me everywhere, and adores being the little spoon snuggled up in my arms for naps. He will literally snuggle for hours and is a total noodle of a dog- he loves to be cradled like a baby. Having him has let me let go of the expectations I had for Oogie, leaving me free to just love her as she is. Plus she loves having a playmate who is also her brother! Kip loves to be carried around too and gets very jealous if Oogie gets carried and he doesn't.
Honestly, the puppy tests can have some credit when picking out puppies. I remember when I first tested the litter I was looking at, Kip was interested in me while Oogie was more interested in the cat. Kip was playful and goofy; Oogie was pretty mellow and preferred to watch rather than participate. Kip, even at 8 weeks, loved rolling onto his back to get belly scratches and didn't even flinch when cradled on his back- Oogie was a struggler. It is surprising how true to their initial puppy personalities their adult personalities have stayed! Granted, Oogie has lightened up a bit 
Initially, I went with Oogie simply because she was a girl and everyone around me told me girl dogs were better pets than boys. What I learned was that when looking for a puppy, choose based on personality, not sex. Sometimes, the cuddliest/most submissive pup in the bunch is female, other times it's male! Always go with your gut and not what other people tell you.
Like I said, it seems the more laid back/people oriented/submissive-ish types are more likely to be cuddly than the independent/dominant-ish/serious types- this is a trend I've noticed in the dogs I have known/know personally from friends and family.
Anyhoo, if you really want a cuddler and your pup ends up not being that way, maybe consider adding another to your pack- Theo would probably love having a canine playmate, and you would hopefully get the little snuggle bug you were wanting all along. It's a win-win! That's what worked for me anyway  I've got my tiny independent diva princess and my cuddly little velcro gooftard, and couldn't be happier!Edited by author Sun Jan 8, '12 6:40pm PST
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He doesn’t even ever bark or growl and loves to be on his back getting belly scratches. If other dogs/people take his toys, bones, food, whatever – he never even growls or gets possessive. So I don’t think that’s it… I also did the puppy tests when I got him and he was the most mellow and snugly dog there. The rest were more playful so I went with him.
