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Rebecca's avatar

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this. I haven't come across "you get what you pet" before, and it's giving me some food for thought. My two dogs have been polar opposites in terms of affection, so I learned to let them lead the way in those interactions. I understand why it is important to consider what behaviour I could be reinforcing if I give them affection, but the dominance theory sounds a bit far-fetched. Are the proponents of that theory concerned about guarding behaviours? My understanding is that guarding behaviours stem from a lack of confidence, not an excess of dominance.

From a personal perspective, I'm very grateful that my dog is a big fan of snuggling and affection. We keep each other warm in the winter, I love her enthusiastic wiggly demands for pets after she wakes up from a nap, and it makes me laugh as I try to dodge her crazy kisses.

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