Does Your Pet Trust You?

There are two traits that I value in animals: unconditional love and trust. Humans have a hard time in depending those traits upon other humans, however, animals are so open-minded to anyone that they trust those that they know can be trusted and will love them unconditionally almost immediately.

But obviously, there's a process for some animals to learn to trust another human being. These animals are often rescued from abusive homes or from living out in the world.

I used to have a dog named Roman (passed away Jan. 2013) and he was adopted from the rescue shelter at 4 years old to our family friends. Later on, our family friends couldn't keep him and we took him in as our own. Long story short, he had a hard time in trusting all movements that me and my family would do. Whether that be to walk around him, lift objects or even open/close doors. He would flinch and watch our every move. 5-6 years later did we gain that trust. He was able to sleep through anything that we did and when we would wake him up, we softly would say his name and then pet him. We worked together to create a safe and fun bond of trust.

My cat, Wolfy, however, was adopted when he was a kitten. As I'm writing this, my cat is currently laying across my bedroom floor sleeping. I've walked around him twice and talked loudly to my father who asked me a question at the door. Not once did he budge. He's sleeping so soundly like a child who doesn't sleep often. (And he sleeps often!) He even allows me to pet his stomach (which can be rare in most cats because of sensitivity) and whenever his paw gets in contact with my skin during, he immediately puts away his claws like magic. Wolfy and I both share a bond of trust with one another.

Having trust with your pet is phenomenal. It makes you feel so much more secure about yourself. And allows you to understand yourself in a whole different light that other humans aren't able to show you.

Does your pet trust you? Do you trust your pet? How so?

Many years ago, we had an Afghan Hound that had been mistreated at the kennel. The person who cleaned the kennels was afraid of the dogs, and batted him with the broom to make Stanley hide in the corner of the kennel while he cleaned it. This resulted in Stanley sneaking around behind him and biting the cleaning man.
After that, they could not show Stanley for fear that he might also bite the judge, and by then, poor Stanley had lost all trust in people.
Since he had been raised in a kennel, he really didn't know how to play like dogs do anyway; but he did eventually learn to enjoy life as a family dog.
It did take him many years before I could sweep the floor without Stanley hiding behind the bed; but other than that; he pretty much trusted us. He never liked anyone else besides his own family though.

That is such a beautiful story of how you helped out Stanley. I can't believe that there are some people out there that treat animals so poorly. Granted, there are many people who are just scared and they don't understand animals as much as they should, so they shoo them away, but that only makes things worse.

Stanley sounds like a wonderful dog and it's great that he had learned to trust you over the course of living with you!

I have two dogs and I do believe that they trust me. They listen very well and depend on me for love and affection. They are one of the most amazing creatures. Their love is unconditional and they are always happy to see me by greeting me at the door. They get excited about the smallest things! They go where I go and they listen to my every command, therefore, I believe they trust me.

I have 3 cats at home. It’s true that each of them have their own personality. One of my cats is very trusting to me. The other two, they neither trust nor care about me. But that is OK, they are fun companions, cute and cuddly.

My older cat is pretty darn chill. He usually sleeps on my bed behind me while I work on the computer. He also sleeps in the same bed as me; he usually curls up either right against my stomach or the backs of my legs. I also love when he does the thing where he flops down next to me. He gets into my face and purrs like an out board motor until I pet him. He's been sleeping on my Dad's bed during the day though lately, because my Dad keeps his bedroom nice and dark when he's not in it, and everyone's cats love dark spaces. I can also do pretty much anything to my old man cat. I used to flop him over my shoulder and walk around the house with him like that. His hips are getting a little bad though, so I have to be super careful picking up him up. He's terrified of rustling plastic bags though, haha.

The younger cat...haha, oh my God. This cats runs at the slightest noise. My knees have been srcatched up so many times because of her leaping off of my lap just from hearing the curtain flutter. She's also terrified of bubbles for some reason. I can't move to suddenly with her either, because she will go onto the defensive and smack me out of reflex. I have no clue why she's so skittish, seeing as we've have her almost 10 years, but eh.

I have a miniature pincher and he only trusts 2 people unconditionally, me and my mom. He has learned to accept my mom's husband as someone who he tolerates and he is slowly learning to tolerate a few other people. He is very protecting of mom and constantly watches out for her. I am only second best in his book.

Mini Pins as a breed only trust and get attached to a small group of people and rarely let anyone else into their circle. I can pet his belly and play with his ears and pick him and cuddle with him but if someone else even went to pet him then he would snap and growl. He is true to his breed and is not a people dog.

Compare Diesel to my Saint Bernard puppy Elvis and you will get different results. When I first got him, it took him a while to get used to people and to fully trust in me. Now he is so excited to see me and to play and I could do anything to that dog and he wouldn't even flinch. He likes other people and as long as they give him an ice cube he is accepting of them.

I had a lovely dog a few years ago that I feel trusted me. I had rescued Snow from a shelter where they were getting ready to send him to be euthanized. I was able to take him home where he became a trusted member of our family. I could do anything to Snow. He would come when I called him, slept at the foot of my bed and stayed in whatever room I was in. If he felt someone was threatening me, he would get between us. Snow passed away at well over 20yrs of age. I have a little 10lb dog now that I also feels trusts me. She comes running to the door when I have been out and comes when called. She lets me do anything to her without complaint.

I think that Chipper trusts me; but he also has a mind of his own, and a very independent streak. When he doesn't want to be bathed, he will go and hide under the bed and not come out. he knows that I can't get down there and get him back out from under the bed.
However, my husband CAN get down and he uses the broom to shoo Chipper out from under the bed. Chipper has learned to come out when I tell him that "Daddy is going to get the BROOM ! "
Usually, when I am going to bathe him, I put up the doggy gate across the bedroom door well ahead of time, before he has figured out my intentions. that solves the problem completely.
Otherwise, Chipper is usually right beside me, whatever I am doing or wherever I am at.

I rescued a dog from being euthanized over 20 yrs ago. I was working at a shelter, and Snow was brought in from a home where he was abused. He was a medium size dog of about 4-45 lbs. He was terrified of strangers and once we got him into his kennel no one could go in to clean it or take him for a walk. I sat outside the kennel after everyone left for the day and would throw dog treats to him and talk to him. After about a week, he started coming closer and closer to me until I could hold a treat through the kennel wire and he would take it from my hand. Soon, I was able to sit in the kennel with him although he retreated to the corner again. After a few days, he was sitting next to me and would let me pet him. I came back from lunch one day and the head of the shelter was going to have him put down because no one could handle him. When I showed her that he would let me in with him, she let me take him home. he lived with me for over 20 yrs before he passed away. He was a wonderful companion and a great watch dog. At first he would not let non family members in the house, but after a time, he would. I still miss Snow terribly, although I now have a loving little 10lb bundle of fur.

We have a 7 year old dachshund named Pumpkin who was rescued by the Humane Society. The woman was a backyard breeder, and there were over 40 dachshunds rescued. The conditions were deplorable. There were deceased animals on the property. Pumpkin has suffered A LOT of psychological damage that no amount of love and stability can seem to fix, unfortunately. I must bear some resemblance to the woman who mistreated her, because Pumpkin does not fully trust me. We have had her for four years, and she will not let me pick her up. She runs from me if I am walking in her direction. The only time she will come to me is if I am sitting on the floor. It's sad. I do not trust her around smaller children, because she will snap at them out of fear.

On a positive note, she LOVES my oldest daughter, and my daughter is definitely her favorite person in the house. They are best friends.

We have four cats (Beans, Peaches, Cookie, and Jack-Jack), and they all trust me 100%.

My previous two pets, a manx and golden retriever did trust me but sadly they have passed away. My current cat is several years old and he is still a bit hesitant about trusting me and it doesn't help matters when I put him in kitty sweaters!

Both my dog and two cats love me, and love each other. Cats and dogs are very loyal, dogs more than cats but still loyal. My pets rely on me as much as i rely on them to keep me company. Gotta love them.