I've pretty much given up on the WHY of any Yorkie behavior. So much of the time, I just know I'm reading into Bailey's behavior what I want the "thought" behind it to be. That said, I think there are a lot of very small things that combine to effect a Yorkie's behavior. One area where I think I DID find an answer (at least a partial one), was this area of preference for one family member over another.
My wife said for a long time before we got Bailey that she wanted a lap dog. We got Bailey, and much of the time that we were together she was in MY lap. After Kathie commented on this a time or two, I told her I thought I had the answer - and it was very simple. It was a matter of how we sit. When my wife sits on the sofa, she sits with her legs curled up on the sofa. Not on the floor and not stretched out. In that posture, she doesn't have a lap for Bailey to lie on. Bailey has to lie on or across her thigh or hip. When I sit at my chair, I have my feel up on the hassock - stretched out straight. Bailey can lie in my lap - or at least between my legs. And she clearly has a preference. If my wife sits on the sofa with her legs stretched out, Bailey is just as likely to go to her as to me. Even then, Bailey's mood is a factor. She's more likely to go to Kathie to be patted and talked to and gently played with while she's in the lap. She's more likely to come to me to just go to sleep.
Just like people, every dog is different - but the more closely we observe them and really get to know them, the more interesting our relationship with them becomes. |