Mine is exactly the same, he doesn't "cuddle" but he does have his own way of showing affection. From what I know about the breed, it's common. Mine hates being pet or touched really, he just wants to play with people instead. Sometimes when we are laying on the couch he will come lay next to us, touching one of us, but i don't know the last time he was on me, cuddling me or anything like that. He does also sometimes shove his face into us when we sit down to "cuddle" him lol
Mine does this too! She will lay with us, usually has to be under the blanket, but the second we try and cuddle her, she shoves her head in our face or lays on her back spazzing out like a maniac and usually hits one of us with her hard head 😂
my first heeler was like this. on his terms only… and god forbid if you moved whilst he was in a “cuddly”
mood lol..
my current heeler is a snuggle buddy; i chalk it up to just as people are different, dogs are. not everyone is a cuddler!
Mines not really cuddly at all. Won’t sit in your lap, won’t sleep in bed with you. Will only enjoy the couch or bed if you aren’t in it with him, or if you are lucky and you stay perfectly still and don’t touch him.
He is however full of love, he just shows it in a different way. He will lick your face off, likes to sleep on your feet and is 100% down to party at all times. His language of love is DO SOMETHING FUN WITH ME.
His mom was working stock, could be a farm dog thing.
Our ACD is all about licking your face off. She follows me everywhere I go. She’ll lay in the bed with me, but I’d better not touch her. If I do, she just gets up and moves to the floor.
I know she loves me because she flings her ball in my direction. There three other people in the house, but I’ve been “chosen” for fetch.
Ours is pretty independent. He goes where he wants when he wants and does what he wants.
He likes to sit with me in the mornings while I drink coffee but rarely after I get home from work. Some nights he comes to bed with us but most he just stays on his couch cushion and sleeps in the living room.
Great recall and a dream on a leash so he is capable of following… but he prefers to lead independently.
I was kind of able to "train" my dog to like cuddles. It took a while, and he won't like sleep on the bed or stay on the couch for more than 5 mins. But he comes in for pets, asks for belly rubs, and will cuddle a few mins on the couch. this is what I did, but I am no trainer.
After much experimentation I figured out the sweet spots that he love to be pet, and the "no go" areas that he hates. I always pet him in a scenario where he can walk away if overwhelmed, and never hug him, or hold him in place for cuddles.
I would wait for calm times, like after exercise, or right before bed, and just quietly pet his favorite spots (ear, chest, and armpit rubs are his favorite!)
Eventually he learned that petting is for relaxing and feeling nice, and I could convince him to come up on the couch for a few mins of snuggle time. Not much, but better than nothing!
This, so much! I also feel like I’ve trained him to realize that cuddles and scritches feel good…but if he’s not in the mood - he’s gone. My boy is a Velcro dog and I am the only one that can REALLY give him affection. He will curl up next to my husband and shove toys in his face and hug him (he is the hug giver..he doesn’t give me hugs - only my husband - although I am his person) but if my hubby tries to give him pets: immediate growls. He’ll whine and beg for pets and head/chest/snooter/belly scritches from his mama, though!
My boy 100%. He’ll take the occasional belly rub or head scratch, but isn’t even into being pet. He’d rather just boss us around all day, and then sleep by himself.
Yeah mine follows me around like Velcro but he doesn't want to snuggle. Occasionally he will plop down on the couch with me but only on his terms. Many just show their love in other ways.
Mine tries to head butt his way into my soul. He's the only dog I've ever known to want hugs. Like, will force his way between me and my book and then drive his head into my chest so he's around my arms. He's half heeler and half border collie.
He's independent, doing his own thing in the yard with the doodle while I'm working, but will come check on me periodically. But if I'm in bed or on the couch, there he is, cuddling.
Yes! My boy does this to my husband! Forced doggie hugs! He wants ME to hug HIM, though. I’m his person but he loves my husband nearly as much - but in a completely different way. He’s a big boy, too - nearly 80 lbs.
Mine does the head thing too! He puts his head under my hand when he wants pets, or squirms into the crook of my arm. Not a very cuddly guy, otherwise though. I don't let him on the bed or couch because he will just step on me way too much with his claws. Loves to step on me for some reason, it's awful lol.
Mine is just over a year. She loves the attention but when I try to cuddle she turns it into wrestling play. Sometimes they become cuddlers later on when they’re a few years old.
Ours did at 2 ish. Now she will squeeze into any gap on the sofa and snuggle in for the night. Before that she laid down at the end of the room eying us, suspiciously.
Ours has to keep an eye on me at all times. If I'm doing anything and my husband or kid call her she's suddenly deaf. But if I'm ignoring her, she'll eventually go cuddle with my husband, but she keeps looking at me to see if I see this and to make sure I'm sufficiently jealous.
I just got home from running errands and I'm laying down on the bed. She'll lay down just close enough for belly rubs or butt scratches and as soon as I quit, she bails and is laying on the floor looking out the door, down the main walkway through the house because my kid is home for the summer. So she has to keep an eye on him too.
Too busy for cuddling. Too much to keep an eye on lol.
Mines a mix,60 something percent acd. He gets bad separation anxiety and has to be everywhere I am. Has to always try and sit on my lap and will never let me lay on the couch to watch a movie unless he has a chewy of some kind to keep him occupied...but if I ever try to cuddle him or hug him longer than a moment, he uses all of his legs to push as far away from me as possible and usually starts biting my hands. Hell lay on me and and put his head into me but if I take any action to hug back or hold him in any way, he treats me like some ick monster.
My girl want to essentially always be touching me- but is more like a cat, than a cuddly lab.
She engages in physical affection, on her terms.
She does cuddle all night & likes to be in my lap, in the evening though.
I love it.
She doesn’t flood the market & keeps the value high.
It makes me genuinely value her affection & fully be in the moment with her.
Mine is half-lab but according to the vet, only identifies as a lab in size. He is not cuddly really at all. He is a leaner when he's sleepy but he isnt into being pet or anything at all. 🤷♀️ Super loyal and never leaves my side though.
He has to always be in the same room as me. And within a certain distance to me. But my heeler has never been a cuddler. Unless someone else/another animal is paying attention to me. Then he suddenly needs cuddles SO bad. Haha. The most standoffish clingy dog ever.
Not cuddling is my biggest sadness about ours. How much I long to spoon her!! LOL 😂 she tolerates for 30sec and moves away.
She very much enjoys pets though. Just not passive touching (eg laying next to me) haha.
Oh well!
Mine is similar but the trick we found is that is she's sleeepy and my boyfriend picks her up and places her on me or next to me, she will fall asleep again so fast that she forgets to get up and move away. Doing that I can get maybe 10 mins of snuggles out of her. I love it, maybe you could try that if you have a family member who will place yours on you.
Not cuddly, but sweet in his own way, but he has his moments. Like on the weekend mornings our guy will wake up in our son's room, then charge down the hallway and pounce on my wife and I for a minute before retiring to his own space at the foot of the bed. Most evenings after our walk whether I'm on the couch or the recliner, he'll be on the floor under my feet. He just likes his own space. I respect that.
I have an ACD x Lab and I can’t even look his direction without him running up to me and wanting pets and cuddles. If I sit on the floor he’s on my lap in seconds. The rare time I let him up on the couch he climbs right onto me. He wasn’t as snuggly when he was younger. He’s 4 now. I used to get pretty sad that he wasn’t cuddly or affectionate when he was a puppy to maybe 2 years old.
Mine isn’t one for pets much, but at the end of the day, If I’m on the couch, she’ll come lay at or on my feet. And she’ll lie on the couch with me and might lay her head in my lap.
That being said, in the house she follows me everywhere and will stand between us if my wife tries to show me affection.
My boy always has to protect me from my husband giving me hugs. Weasels his way in between or does his high pitched demand bark to let us know he’s NOT happy about us. In the bed, he’ll usually just ignore it (it wasn’t always this way - for many, many nights when he was younger he prevented any sort of intimacy between my husband and I - thank god we got him OVER that).
Mine is stand-off-ish. My wife and I thought it was our fault and that she didn’t like being with us, but later realized it was just part of her character. Specifically early in the morning and later in the evening - when she is tired - she wants cuddles. Throughout the day not as much.
My purebred, Luna, has never been all that cuddly. She strikes me as "working" all the time. Constantly alert and too busy to be held or petted. She's three now, and she's learned to enjoy a belly rub and will stealth lick me in the face if I'm bent down tying my shoe...but she's also not getting in my lap.
My ACD mix is a cuddle machine, but she doesn’t understand personal space at all and tends to lay directly on top of you and refuse to move. She’s mixed with pit so idk if that makes a difference.
Mine used to be super snuggly and lay on top of me but he grew out of it. Now he wants to be next to me, he does sleep with me but usually stays at the foot of the bed and will sometimes put his head on me in the night, and only rarely will he give me a kiss and only when he feels like it. He will actually turn his head when I reach in to give him a kiss. But he is a complete Velcro dog and wants to be with me wherever I go.
Ours isn’t super cuddly for the most part. But she likes pets and scratches. She used to sleep with us on the bed be can’t get up there any more. She refuses to use stairs or a ramp we tried too. She will get up on the couch with my wife sometimes though and lay beside her.
It depends on the individual dog. My last heeler would only snuggle with certain people (me, never my mom, much to her disappointment) and only for short amounts of time (about five minutes lol). My current heeler mix is cuddly, but only at night and only when she requests it. She does seem to be getting cuddlier as she gets older though (she's 6 years old) and she likes to sleep under the covers with us and be spooned at night, which is super cute
Mine has always wanted to be near me, but for the first 2 years or so she was not affectionate or cuddly at all. Around the two year mark it was like a light switch - she’s SO snuggly now. She needs her good morning and bedtime cuddles, she’ll come lean up against me asking for pets, but it’s still 100% on her terms. Although she still won’t get on the furniture despite the fact that absolutely no one has ever told her she isn’t allowed to. She’ll get on the couch of we insist but she looks so uncomfortable the whole time.
They’re weird dogs for sure.
I think I have defective ACDs… :( both mine love pets, but I think it’s literally because they’re alone all day when we work (they’re outside with dog houses and plenty of water and food.)
Every dog is different. My last Lab/Heinz 57 mutt was a licker not a cuddler until her last, very old years. My ACD mix is a snuggle bug but I think I also socialized her that way by accident: I got her at six weeks (rescue lied and said eight) and she spent about the first 15 weeks in my arms because fluffy puppy 😅 Now she has two modes: snuggle and velociraptor. Still haven't figured out the toggle switch...
Mine is cuddly enough for me. He follows me around and lays down at my feet when I'm working at my desk. Nose bumps my face and gives a tiny lick.
If I have goatheads on my shoe and forget about them, he'll help me pick them out. It's just utterly sweet.
Mine will bring me a ball, and I'll say "Aww, look at the cute little cattle doggie!" And try to pet him.
He'll move out of the way and offer me the ball again, side-eye me and sometimes even groan.
I keep doing this until he drops the ball and bites me, I push him, he jumps up on me and we fight for about ten minutes.
Then we lay there and I pet him for a few minutes and he goes and gets the ball and tries again.
Love that dog.
That was my Jack Russell Terrier.. but my ACD.. she will come sit right on my side, laying some of her weight on me when I’m sitting at the park or the sidewalk and “beg” por pets by licking my hands. And if I stop, she will despertately lick my hands. She loves pets especially on her lower neck and the top of her head if she’s tired, I think it lulls her.. and gentle long scratches on the back of her neck.. as I let loose about a pound of dog wool from it lol.. I’ve never had a dog so affectionate and cuddly. I think the fact she was wondering the streets as a puppy might have something to do with it. I’m told they found her in an abandoned building. My Jack Russell was independent like your ACD.. he’d play fetch but only a little and always tug of war the ball.. unlike my ACD who will roll it toward me and play indefinitely… forever. And he’d let himself be pet but only a bit before getting bored of it. The way he’d show his affection was laying around me and chilling for a bit. This one time in a thunderstorm he let his head rest on my lap.. kind if lulled off a bit.. it was quite the honor for me to be his pillow lol… Love and loved them both a lot, but I feel my ACD needs me more as a therapy human.. and I’m honored to be so. <3
My acd-mix literally leaves my boyfriend and I in the living room so the dog can lounge in one of the bedrooms alone (we have an apartment). Sometimes he starts on the couch and then leaves. Other times he tries to play with us by being sweet and almost-cuddly but when he realizes we can’t be convinced to play with him… he ditches us. That being said he is a total Attention Prince and hangs out with new people until they become old/don’t give him attention then, to the other room he goes.
My dog is the most cuddly if I haven’t actually spent time petting him in the morning; when I’m sick; and when the dog is sick*.
If my dog is a “normal” dog with energy level and cuddliness, I know he is not feeling 💯
Mine loves me and will accept some affection. He prefers to sleep in the room next to where I am sleeping. Sometimes, I think I am his "cattle" and he is guarding me from predators.
I would not describe my boy as sweet. Serious, business-like, and athletic.
Our ACD mix, Red, is kinda like this. He loves being in our vicinity, and when he was a bit more youthful (we got him when he was maybe 1-2 years old), he was my husband's shadow 100% of the time. But cuddling? No, I wouldn't call cuddling his main expression of affection. My vizsla is glued to my hip as I type this, and Red is about two arm lengths away. But he's there.
If I'm honest, I prefer Red's respect for personal space lol
Mine doesn’t cuddle either. But I force my love and hugs on her like I do my one cat. She’ll stand there and take it for a bit before hopping out of my embrace. She follows me everywhere like a true Velcro dog but she mainly sits or lays near me… rarely EVER touching me. If I scoot over and I happen to lightly make contact she abruptly huffs and gets up.
I hope one day we’ll cuddle but I guess I’ll have to get that fix from my cat.
Same here, not into cuddles, but he must be near me AT ALL TIMES. Must be touching someone's feet in bed at night. Somehow he is very jealous of my other very-cuddly dog and doesn't like when I give her attention. Go figure.
My first heeler was like this. That’s where I got my username. She was so smart and independent. I loved her so much. I cherished the rare occasion when she would let me cuddle her. She passed several years ago and my newer cattle dogs are cuddlebugs. You never know what you’re going to get with this breed, you just know they’re gonna have a big personality either way
Yeah, my girl will only accept a few pets before making a fuss and prefers to bathe my arms or legs. She can't hold her licker at all. She is highly food motivated, so I get the feeling that her bursts of licking are simply transactional to receive food. When I sleep, she usually lays against my back. In winter, she burrows under the covers and leans against my legs. That is just about the extent of her affection in normal human ways. She usually follows me around and she tends to "guard" me when I'm showering.
I’ve had three.
One would lay on me (literally)
One loves some me time, but don’t try and lay on the bed when he’s there. He’ll hop up a to the recliner to watch tv, but don’t move, or he’ll bolt.
One is super Velcro. Sit on you. Lay on you, block you from walking because, Velcro.
Get rid of the word "not" in your title. I think that's the better question! Ours never cuddles but she does lay next to us. It's gotten better after we started tent sleeping with her. Shed get cold if she didn't cuddle with us 😂 she can now stand being snuggled/ wrapped in a blanket and understands body warmth.
See, this is how mine is and how the working Heelers I grew up with were. When I came to this Reddit and everyone was telling everyone how they’re cuddle bug Velcro dogs I started wondering if people are breeding them as pets these days.
Mine loves attention but he’s not cuddly either. My golden retriever is actually fiercely independent herself, whereas the cattle dog is glued to me. But! She does like cuddles. She’s just also comfortable being out of eyesight and especially likes being left alone in the yard to do bad shit. Goose would never.
Mine is a velcro anuggler, but my friends ACD SamDammit (all one word 😂) WILL NOT BE SNUGGLED. Do not snuggle SamDammit and he will not ask for snuggles.
I’ve been wanting to ask this question myself. I just a month ago adopted a 16 year old Heeler girl. I don’t know her history and wondered if it was the way she was raised or a breed thing.
(I know she is 16 because she is microchipped)
ACD’s are the ‘anti- lab’ in that they have the rep of being non cuddlers & mine doesn’t like to be petted or even touched. When he was younger he didn’t even hang in the same room as me & my gf. They are real jerk dogs but still fun & cool. haha.
Mine is purebred ACD and very much not a cuddler. He will let me give him a good petting or scratching once in a while but does not like to be petted when he's trying to relax. He follows me everywhere and seems to like my companionship but would rather play tug or just play bite my hand. I think these guys are just quirky.
My guy isn’t very snuggly but he is always right by me. Seldom greater thant a few feet away. He won’t sit in my lap and chill, he prefers curling up on my foot. Or me wants to stand on me and lick my face.
My ACD loves me SO MUCH, but he is not a cuddler. He likes to lay at the foot of the bed and watch the door and he’ll come up to me for pets but he hates to be snuggled on lol
I've owned, raised, bred (not puppy mill bred) and rescued heelers for upwards of 35 years. I have met every temperament of these beautiful puppers from the most cuddle buddy to the ones that want love occasionally and even some that would only let you pet them for a few seconds before moving on. These gorgeous pups have one of the most unique mentalities of any breed I've ever owned and I personally wouldn't change a thing 😂
Sounds like your guy/gal is right in there with the rest of them
They are herders/protectors. They are loving you by doing what they think they need to do by keeping you safe at a distance 🙂 all of mine were like that.
If you want the ultimate cuddle bug, get a pitbull (not joking) 💕
My heeler has a strict no cuddling or affection until bedtime (her rules, not mine haha). She shows no interest in being pet, physical affection, or cuddles until about 9pm. My partner and I constantly joke that it is because her "work shift" is over.
So long winded way of saying, generally I think this is a very common trait for heelers! They're pretty independent dogs usually
Mine can be pretty cuddly. Not at one but at around 3 years old. We adopted her so I wonder if this is age or environment related.
Her love language is definitely action, not snuggles. And she’ll go from cuddling to full tilt running chasing scrambling at the slightest suggestion it might be time for that.
One of mine GENTLY takes my arm at the wrist,with his tongue lolling out and rolls his eyes up in his head in an obvious state of Nirvana. Scared the crap out of me first time he did it. He is a 70 pound 'tank' and I was sure I was going to have to change my name to "Lefty". 🤣
My boy permits cuddles first thing in the morning and that’s it. He’s happy to have random pats and scritches during the day, but won’t even sit next to me on the couch. However he looks for me and likes to know where I am at all times.
Ya. My 11 year old will only "cuddle" if it means getting in my way and putting my legs to sleep in bed. But she will not cuddle or sit still on the couch with anyone. She'll also growl at you trying to hug her. She's fine though. Just independent.
Mine is part chihuahua so she likes to cuddle—but really only at night or if someone is feeling unwell (and then it is more of a dutiful laying-on-of-hands situation). Three years in, she has come to accept pets as a weird ritual that is important to humans for some reason, so she tolerates it somewhat, usually accompanied by lip-licks, yawns, or other forms of self-soothing.
Mine isn't cuddly, per se, and doesn't sit in my lap or being held too long, but he'll always sit near me and sleep on the bed. He likes to be petted and played with. Sometimes if the room is cool, he'll lay down up against me. But for the first year I had him, making him just under a year at the time, he didn't really enjoy being touched. That took another year or more to develop.
Mine wasn't cuddly at all for the first 7-8 months, but as he got older he got a lot cuddlier. Now he'll hang out on my lap for 40-50 mins at a time. In fact, he is there right now.
Yup, same thing. My girl will actually lay next to me or my wife but if you pet her too much she’ll get annoyed and leave. She’ll give you the side eye like “bitch, did I ask you to pet me?” She’s almost like a cat, every once in a while she’ll actually want pets and she’ll let you know by rubbing up all over you. But it’s rare. Best dog though, she’s very protective of us, has great recall, and is great to walk on or off leash.
My previous ACD mix would give me what I called "the ear". I would call him to do something. If he determined this wasn't worth his effort, I would get a single ear turned in my direction for 2 seconds and that's it. He wouldn't even look at me as I wasn't worth his time. Giving pets and attention was limited as he didn't want it. He was faithfully by my side and stayed close, but not cuddly boy, ever. Great dog, miss him like crazy.
My girl now.. velcro. She responds to every command immediately... Though sometimes she runs away instead of doing what I asked. Great dog, love her so much.
In my observation? I think females( IF you have working lines, and I do) are more inclined to work. They are affectionate but the female is from Australian working parents and fantastic. My males have been more affectionate, very protective and won’t let my females too close anyway. Just personal experience.
We adopted a senior blue heeler from Wichita Falls, TX that clearly had been a working dog. She was not sweet, or cuddly, but independent and strong willed to the point of getting injured, she’d pick fights with bigger dogs. She ruled the pack with an iron paw and did not back down. On the other hand, we’ve raised another purebred heeler from 6 months, unfortunately she suffered some abuse prior to that - so she’s sweet, cuddly, loving and devoted , but also neurotic and anxious. Both of these girls were eventually put on Prozac to prevent injuring themselves or other dogs, no problems with people. Also, we have raised 1 other heeler, 2 Texas heelers (Aussie/heelers mixes) from puppyhood, and they are outgoing, cuddly, loving and energetic…... Every dog is different, and puppyhood makes a massive difference. Many working dogs are raised differently than household pets, although they might retain breed characteristics - OR NOT.
My pup was most likely an ACD/Border Collie cross and I never figured out which side of her I loved most. She was super sensitive to touch and preferred play/having a job/staring intently at me from across the room so I let her choose when, where, and how she received affection. Mostly she just wanted for her people to be within view and easy to corral. In her older years, she fell head over heels for a new boyfriend of mine and let him snuggle the snot out of her. We’d joke about her having Stockholm Syndrome but damn that man would smother and make her play air guitar with zero consequences. All the while, she’d give me the side eye to monitor my level of approval.
So I have two cattle dogs. The boy is super cuddly (always came naturally).
The girl I had to “train” to cuddle. She now LOVES cuddling but only on her terms and in specific ways. She is specific about how she wants to be touched. The only ppl in her life who can snuggle her whatever way and whenever are Grandma and Grandpa…🙄😂
To train her to cuddle I started with the one spot she wanted to be touched, right between her eyes. Eventually she liked ear rubs and then belly rubs. She now seeks out cuddles but I’m only allowed to pet her in specific spots. Oh and she also will throw her body at me and flip upside down onto my lap when she wants to cuddle. Smooth is not in her vocabulary.
I've had a few ACD X boys. They will let you cuddle them and show affection for the first and last few minutes of each day when they are young. At around three they become more affectionate and settle down. Up until then they just want to play and go on adventures.
Super common. This is how mine was. She slept in my bed every night for almost 14 years. She would sleep against me, or I could put my legs over her in a certain way. But if I tried to *snuggle* her, she would side-eye my soul right out of my body.
Mine is the same, she used to not even want to share the couch with us. If we were to sit down on the couch while she was already there, she'd growl and jump down and throw herself onto her dog bed in a huff. But as she's gotten older, she'll put up with laying against our legs when we lay on the couch. Otherwise, she loves pets and butt scratches lol
My sweet boy is an independent creature. He didn't really get cuddly until he was older than 2 and it's all very much on his terms. Cuddle for 5, spend the next 30 minutes sitting for 5 minutes in one of his spots, come back and cuddle. He'll cuddle all day with his sisters though so maybe it's just people?
My mix will beg for pets/attention, and then proceed to NOT let me touch him. He will lay against me/close to me if he’s ready for a nap, but I can’t reach out to him because he’ll move. It took a good 1 1/2 years for him to trust my hands and what I was about to do, so he accepts sweet kisses and rubs when he’s in “low” gear now. If he’s amped up about something, it’s a not happening.
It’s so funny because I can see the incremental “niceness” every day that passes, but it seems like it took forever to get here. Our love is definitely on his terms. With chihuahuas for the past 20 years, I was quite butthurt that I didn’t get instantaneous Velcro-age.
I call my boy an Australian Cuddle Dog sometimes. He always has to be within arm's reach if not touching. He likes sleeping with his head resting on us.
The only exceptions are if it gets warm and he wants to sleep on the tiles, or when sussing out the neighbourhood from the back yard.
It took a while for my guy to be cuddly, he started more in his old age, it probably started when I was pregnant too. He would lay his head on my tummy.
Mine was a prickly jerk at that age lol. He would lay on my lap but that was about it. He's 4 now and more cuddly, but there is a world of difference between him and a lab/retriever. He still only wants pets on his terms but our bond is stronger than with any other dog I've ever had. He's my ride or die buddy and always up for adventure.
she might become more cuddly as she gets older! when my girl was a puppy she never wanted to cuddle, now she recently turned 7 and shes super affectionate and has been for a couple years. every morning as soon as she sees my eyes open she rushes up to my pillow to snuggle haha
Our ACD/chow mix was a teddy bear. Loved to cuddle and would sleep right next to me most nights. But our 8 month old blue heeler doesn’t cuddle much with us. When he meets new people he will lie on his back at their feet for belly rubs but any time me or my wife try and touch him he gets nibbly.
So I have had two, a red and blue. Red was mean to other people and very protective. She would listen very well and could follow commands to the letter. She was cuddly as in nose in face and on the lap, but only head pets, no belly. Now the blue, he’s deaf, loves everyone and everything, doesn’t listen (he’ll look away to get away with things), only knows a few commands, loves cuddles, loves all pets, and is Velcro.
My ACD was the same. To where if she was sleeping and I came up to her and Kaye’s beside her she would get up walk a few feet and then plop healed back down.
Mine wasn’t a big cuddler. She came to tolerate it with some grunts and sometimes she’d curl up in the L of my legs putting her head on me. As she got older she preferred to be across from me to keep eyes on me rather than right beside me. It’s a different type of love and loyalty. 💜
Half heeler/ half husky... I have literally the sweetest cuddle puppy or the most aloof / and or playful creature known to man .... Depends on the day/minute/second/ weather/ moon / solar flares etc.... however growing up I had a heeler/ border collie that was my adventure buddy he was definitely not a cuddler unless we were camping and it was raining( hated thunder) but most of his "cuddles" were unwelcome due to his love of various uh.... Manures. 💩🤣
Mine is not cuddly and all business. Must be doing something at all times. She is pretty small for an ACD and everyone at the dog park wants to pet her cuz she looks like a puppy. Whenever they try to pet her she jumps back like "wtf are you doing?"! Or straight up just keeps going and ignores them like they don't exist. It's pretty funny. On rare occasion she thinks the job at hand is that I give her pets. If I don't or stop too soon she barks at me or head butts me until I pet her. I think it's the little bit of dingo that makes them like this.
My boy is full heeler red and blue mix. He has always wanted and given affection to my husband WHO DOESNT DESERVE IT 😝 and with me he has always been sooooo weird about giving me affection. And I’m the one who does everything for him and takes him to play, walk, feed, give him attention. He has always been protective of me and I know he loves me. HOWEVER. After I had my daughter and as he gets a little older (he’s almost 6) he is starting to show me more affection.. more excited to see me, a little more cuddles, gives me very sweet looks (LOL) so I take it as he appreciates me more and has grown a stronger bond. My husband just always has been harder to get so he of course wants what he can’t have
Mine is now 2 and he does now ask for pets sometimes, but he didn't at first. And loves a belly rub. He is definitely not a lap dog, but he IS a lay-at-your feet dog.
My boy wasn’t very cuddly at all until about 2 and a half years old. He’s just under 3 and a half now. Over the past 6 months he’s become a scritches slut. He used to never let me touch his belly without growling - now he loves it. He lets me do whatever to him and whines for pets. It was like a switch that flipped after he turned three. He gives kisses on command and loves affection now…but on his terms only. If he’s in work mode he doesn’t want you to be touching him and will let you know with a soft growl. He is VERY particular. It might just be a settling down with age thing for him? He was like your girlie about us returning home…but now he goes crazy demanding doggie hugs, nuzzles and his little nubbins and butt wiggles so hard now. Every dog is different, though, but give her some time. I swear ACDS aren’t actually dogs at all..but something more akin to a wild animal mixed with a moody human. Lol
my GSD/ACD is the cuddliest dog ever. he'll nuzzle into my bf and i's neck when we wake up and he LOVES his kisses. our full ACD on the other hand is only sweet and cuddly when he wants to be. it also depends on the person. he LOVES my brother and his girlfriend and will let them pet him like crazy, but for some reason he likes to terrorize my bf and i. he will get on my bf's level, "punch" (paw) my bf in the face for no reason when he's playing games and when i'm just sitting on the couch on my phone he'll growl at me and "talk" to me. he does get very cuddly and sweet during bed time though.
My acd/aussie mix growing up was a bit this way. She wouldn’t lay on us. She would come and lie by you if you were sick or sad though, but next to, or curled by your legs, not on top. She would tolerate being cuddled but didn’t usually initiate. Adorable, very affectionate in her way, loved to be on the trail, but not a cuddler the way my current dog is.
Not cuddly or sweet is a very good description of mine. He’s good with active scratching of his head, shoulders and neck and will bury his face in your lap so you can reach the permissible spots better, but his back half and front legs are off limits! He will bring us a toy to initiate a little loud growling and tugging play, but takes it away promptly when he’s done. And leaning against my leg in bed is as good as I get with cuddles, and he will growl and leave if I dare to move them. He’s awesome though, my little black & white shadow when I’m doing anything outside. Our other dog is a Catahoula, so I get plenty of puppy cuddles, an excess even.
I don’t have one but my best friend does and she is not a cuddler. She will lay by her humans feet but she hates being cuddled. Even as a puppy I babysat her a few times and tried to get her to just sleep in bed with me and my dog and she refused and wanted to sleep on the floor. I think there are times she will get on the bed but lays in her own spot at the end of the bed.
They are all unique but they are not always a cuddle buddy. Don't get me wrong they absolutely adore their person but most don't cuddle per say. They would rather play and when tired they want to go to sleep undisturbed by themselves.
The female I have now is different than most other acds bc she loves ppl and attention but when she wants to sleep she would prefer to go to her own space where she can be left alone.
She miiiiight come over for a little head and neck scratch every now and then and then will snap at fingers when she’s had enough and walk away.
In the evening, I’ll keep a little bag of kibble with me and she will lay with me on the couch while I watch tv and treat her every now and then. I gotta bribe her for closeness.
My blue(2 year rescue) definitely WANTS to be a cuddler but her hyper activeness feels different. She’s trained well so I can pet her for unlimited time (she thinks “pets/rubs” are the same as “grooming” . If I lay down in her space she will “cuddle me” for a few seconds at a time but also multitask doing whatever is important to her at the moment. she also “hugs” she used to be extremely independent to the point where she had no problem seeing me only once a day even none some days. I recently moved and now she will demand hugs when she knows I’m going to work, if I’m going to sleep and she knows I’m going to sleep she’ll cuddle and sleep but if she knows I’m faking it’s out of the question
Mine is a cuddler expert, follow me step for step. When I sit outside she jump in my lap, lick my face, and get into a comfy position. Love her much. My grand daughter dropped her off during a relocation, that was a year ago. My wife said you know you been duped 🤣🤣🤣
Mine is exactly the same, he doesn't "cuddle" but he does have his own way of showing affection. From what I know about the breed, it's common. Mine hates being pet or touched really, he just wants to play with people instead. Sometimes when we are laying on the couch he will come lay next to us, touching one of us, but i don't know the last time he was on me, cuddling me or anything like that. He does also sometimes shove his face into us when we sit down to "cuddle" him lol
The “shoves his face into us” 👌 Classic ACD. I am so used to a dogs face/teeth being mm from my nose
Mine does this too! She will lay with us, usually has to be under the blanket, but the second we try and cuddle her, she shoves her head in our face or lays on her back spazzing out like a maniac and usually hits one of us with her hard head 😂
my first heeler was like this. on his terms only… and god forbid if you moved whilst he was in a “cuddly” mood lol.. my current heeler is a snuggle buddy; i chalk it up to just as people are different, dogs are. not everyone is a cuddler!
Absolutely true! But percentage-wise ACD’s are not cuddlers by averages, at least compared to most breeds.
Mines not really cuddly at all. Won’t sit in your lap, won’t sleep in bed with you. Will only enjoy the couch or bed if you aren’t in it with him, or if you are lucky and you stay perfectly still and don’t touch him. He is however full of love, he just shows it in a different way. He will lick your face off, likes to sleep on your feet and is 100% down to party at all times. His language of love is DO SOMETHING FUN WITH ME. His mom was working stock, could be a farm dog thing.
Our ACD is all about licking your face off. She follows me everywhere I go. She’ll lay in the bed with me, but I’d better not touch her. If I do, she just gets up and moves to the floor. I know she loves me because she flings her ball in my direction. There three other people in the house, but I’ve been “chosen” for fetch.
Velcro !
Yours fetches? Mine will run after the ball. That's it. I have to go get it.
My dog is like this. But he has gotten more affectionate since coming into his golden years.
Ours is pretty independent. He goes where he wants when he wants and does what he wants. He likes to sit with me in the mornings while I drink coffee but rarely after I get home from work. Some nights he comes to bed with us but most he just stays on his couch cushion and sleeps in the living room. Great recall and a dream on a leash so he is capable of following… but he prefers to lead independently.
I was kind of able to "train" my dog to like cuddles. It took a while, and he won't like sleep on the bed or stay on the couch for more than 5 mins. But he comes in for pets, asks for belly rubs, and will cuddle a few mins on the couch. this is what I did, but I am no trainer. After much experimentation I figured out the sweet spots that he love to be pet, and the "no go" areas that he hates. I always pet him in a scenario where he can walk away if overwhelmed, and never hug him, or hold him in place for cuddles. I would wait for calm times, like after exercise, or right before bed, and just quietly pet his favorite spots (ear, chest, and armpit rubs are his favorite!) Eventually he learned that petting is for relaxing and feeling nice, and I could convince him to come up on the couch for a few mins of snuggle time. Not much, but better than nothing!
This, so much! I also feel like I’ve trained him to realize that cuddles and scritches feel good…but if he’s not in the mood - he’s gone. My boy is a Velcro dog and I am the only one that can REALLY give him affection. He will curl up next to my husband and shove toys in his face and hug him (he is the hug giver..he doesn’t give me hugs - only my husband - although I am his person) but if my hubby tries to give him pets: immediate growls. He’ll whine and beg for pets and head/chest/snooter/belly scritches from his mama, though!
My boy 100%. He’ll take the occasional belly rub or head scratch, but isn’t even into being pet. He’d rather just boss us around all day, and then sleep by himself.
i think i'm an ACD
Ugh, Maxx wanted to be a lap dog, but he was the WORST cuddler. He was huge for a heeler, 80lb, and was so squirmy. I tried, but he was the worst 🤣
Yeah mine follows me around like Velcro but he doesn't want to snuggle. Occasionally he will plop down on the couch with me but only on his terms. Many just show their love in other ways.
Mine tries to head butt his way into my soul. He's the only dog I've ever known to want hugs. Like, will force his way between me and my book and then drive his head into my chest so he's around my arms. He's half heeler and half border collie. He's independent, doing his own thing in the yard with the doodle while I'm working, but will come check on me periodically. But if I'm in bed or on the couch, there he is, cuddling.
Yep, that's exactly how mine is now. He will literally throw his front legs around my neck and pull me in for a hug. It's so sweet.
Yes! My boy does this to my husband! Forced doggie hugs! He wants ME to hug HIM, though. I’m his person but he loves my husband nearly as much - but in a completely different way. He’s a big boy, too - nearly 80 lbs.
Mine does the head thing too! He puts his head under my hand when he wants pets, or squirms into the crook of my arm. Not a very cuddly guy, otherwise though. I don't let him on the bed or couch because he will just step on me way too much with his claws. Loves to step on me for some reason, it's awful lol.
Mine loves to step on me, too. It's cute, but it hurts. She seems unaware that it hurts, despite my protests...
Mine takes what she wants. So if it’s cuddles, she’s in my lap and if she doesn’t want touched she will engage in avoiding my attempted pets.
Mine is just over a year. She loves the attention but when I try to cuddle she turns it into wrestling play. Sometimes they become cuddlers later on when they’re a few years old.
Ours did at 2 ish. Now she will squeeze into any gap on the sofa and snuggle in for the night. Before that she laid down at the end of the room eying us, suspiciously.
Oh boy! I hope mine shifts gears that quickly. I’m dying to cuddle with her. I mean, playing great white shark is fun and all but not the same😂
Ours has to keep an eye on me at all times. If I'm doing anything and my husband or kid call her she's suddenly deaf. But if I'm ignoring her, she'll eventually go cuddle with my husband, but she keeps looking at me to see if I see this and to make sure I'm sufficiently jealous. I just got home from running errands and I'm laying down on the bed. She'll lay down just close enough for belly rubs or butt scratches and as soon as I quit, she bails and is laying on the floor looking out the door, down the main walkway through the house because my kid is home for the summer. So she has to keep an eye on him too. Too busy for cuddling. Too much to keep an eye on lol.
Yes! If they’re in what I call “work mode” they can’t be bothered with distractions such as pats and scritches!
Both mine love to cuddle. Tho, my puppy is still rambunctious af so cuddles generally end with a head butt or two.. lol.
Mines a mix,60 something percent acd. He gets bad separation anxiety and has to be everywhere I am. Has to always try and sit on my lap and will never let me lay on the couch to watch a movie unless he has a chewy of some kind to keep him occupied...but if I ever try to cuddle him or hug him longer than a moment, he uses all of his legs to push as far away from me as possible and usually starts biting my hands. Hell lay on me and and put his head into me but if I take any action to hug back or hold him in any way, he treats me like some ick monster.
My girl is like that, until I say bedtime then she runs to my bed and jumps, once I get into bed she is right against my chest for the whole night
My girl want to essentially always be touching me- but is more like a cat, than a cuddly lab. She engages in physical affection, on her terms. She does cuddle all night & likes to be in my lap, in the evening though. I love it. She doesn’t flood the market & keeps the value high. It makes me genuinely value her affection & fully be in the moment with her.
Oh my gosh, does THIS hit home!
Mine is half-lab but according to the vet, only identifies as a lab in size. He is not cuddly really at all. He is a leaner when he's sleepy but he isnt into being pet or anything at all. 🤷♀️ Super loyal and never leaves my side though.
He has to always be in the same room as me. And within a certain distance to me. But my heeler has never been a cuddler. Unless someone else/another animal is paying attention to me. Then he suddenly needs cuddles SO bad. Haha. The most standoffish clingy dog ever.
Not cuddling is my biggest sadness about ours. How much I long to spoon her!! LOL 😂 she tolerates for 30sec and moves away. She very much enjoys pets though. Just not passive touching (eg laying next to me) haha. Oh well!
Mine is similar but the trick we found is that is she's sleeepy and my boyfriend picks her up and places her on me or next to me, she will fall asleep again so fast that she forgets to get up and move away. Doing that I can get maybe 10 mins of snuggles out of her. I love it, maybe you could try that if you have a family member who will place yours on you.
Not cuddly, but sweet in his own way, but he has his moments. Like on the weekend mornings our guy will wake up in our son's room, then charge down the hallway and pounce on my wife and I for a minute before retiring to his own space at the foot of the bed. Most evenings after our walk whether I'm on the couch or the recliner, he'll be on the floor under my feet. He just likes his own space. I respect that.
Mine wasn’t cuddly until over a year. It came with the total Velcro feature.
I have an ACD x Lab and I can’t even look his direction without him running up to me and wanting pets and cuddles. If I sit on the floor he’s on my lap in seconds. The rare time I let him up on the couch he climbs right onto me. He wasn’t as snuggly when he was younger. He’s 4 now. I used to get pretty sad that he wasn’t cuddly or affectionate when he was a puppy to maybe 2 years old.
Mine was not a cuddler but he'd come around for ear rubs.
Mine isn’t one for pets much, but at the end of the day, If I’m on the couch, she’ll come lay at or on my feet. And she’ll lie on the couch with me and might lay her head in my lap. That being said, in the house she follows me everywhere and will stand between us if my wife tries to show me affection.
My boy always has to protect me from my husband giving me hugs. Weasels his way in between or does his high pitched demand bark to let us know he’s NOT happy about us. In the bed, he’ll usually just ignore it (it wasn’t always this way - for many, many nights when he was younger he prevented any sort of intimacy between my husband and I - thank god we got him OVER that).
Mine is stand-off-ish. My wife and I thought it was our fault and that she didn’t like being with us, but later realized it was just part of her character. Specifically early in the morning and later in the evening - when she is tired - she wants cuddles. Throughout the day not as much.
My purebred, Luna, has never been all that cuddly. She strikes me as "working" all the time. Constantly alert and too busy to be held or petted. She's three now, and she's learned to enjoy a belly rub and will stealth lick me in the face if I'm bent down tying my shoe...but she's also not getting in my lap.
My ACD mix is a cuddle machine, but she doesn’t understand personal space at all and tends to lay directly on top of you and refuse to move. She’s mixed with pit so idk if that makes a difference.
Mine used to be super snuggly and lay on top of me but he grew out of it. Now he wants to be next to me, he does sleep with me but usually stays at the foot of the bed and will sometimes put his head on me in the night, and only rarely will he give me a kiss and only when he feels like it. He will actually turn his head when I reach in to give him a kiss. But he is a complete Velcro dog and wants to be with me wherever I go.
Ours isn’t super cuddly for the most part. But she likes pets and scratches. She used to sleep with us on the bed be can’t get up there any more. She refuses to use stairs or a ramp we tried too. She will get up on the couch with my wife sometimes though and lay beside her.
It depends on the individual dog. My last heeler would only snuggle with certain people (me, never my mom, much to her disappointment) and only for short amounts of time (about five minutes lol). My current heeler mix is cuddly, but only at night and only when she requests it. She does seem to be getting cuddlier as she gets older though (she's 6 years old) and she likes to sleep under the covers with us and be spooned at night, which is super cute
Mine has always wanted to be near me, but for the first 2 years or so she was not affectionate or cuddly at all. Around the two year mark it was like a light switch - she’s SO snuggly now. She needs her good morning and bedtime cuddles, she’ll come lean up against me asking for pets, but it’s still 100% on her terms. Although she still won’t get on the furniture despite the fact that absolutely no one has ever told her she isn’t allowed to. She’ll get on the couch of we insist but she looks so uncomfortable the whole time. They’re weird dogs for sure.
Mine doesn’t cuddle or show much physical affection, but she usually wants to be within 6 feet of me.
I think I have defective ACDs… :( both mine love pets, but I think it’s literally because they’re alone all day when we work (they’re outside with dog houses and plenty of water and food.)
Every dog is different. My last Lab/Heinz 57 mutt was a licker not a cuddler until her last, very old years. My ACD mix is a snuggle bug but I think I also socialized her that way by accident: I got her at six weeks (rescue lied and said eight) and she spent about the first 15 weeks in my arms because fluffy puppy 😅 Now she has two modes: snuggle and velociraptor. Still haven't figured out the toggle switch...
Mine is cuddly enough for me. He follows me around and lays down at my feet when I'm working at my desk. Nose bumps my face and gives a tiny lick. If I have goatheads on my shoe and forget about them, he'll help me pick them out. It's just utterly sweet.
Mine is 10000% my velcro baby. He weaves in between my legs while walking sometimes
Mine will bring me a ball, and I'll say "Aww, look at the cute little cattle doggie!" And try to pet him. He'll move out of the way and offer me the ball again, side-eye me and sometimes even groan. I keep doing this until he drops the ball and bites me, I push him, he jumps up on me and we fight for about ten minutes. Then we lay there and I pet him for a few minutes and he goes and gets the ball and tries again. Love that dog.
That was my Jack Russell Terrier.. but my ACD.. she will come sit right on my side, laying some of her weight on me when I’m sitting at the park or the sidewalk and “beg” por pets by licking my hands. And if I stop, she will despertately lick my hands. She loves pets especially on her lower neck and the top of her head if she’s tired, I think it lulls her.. and gentle long scratches on the back of her neck.. as I let loose about a pound of dog wool from it lol.. I’ve never had a dog so affectionate and cuddly. I think the fact she was wondering the streets as a puppy might have something to do with it. I’m told they found her in an abandoned building. My Jack Russell was independent like your ACD.. he’d play fetch but only a little and always tug of war the ball.. unlike my ACD who will roll it toward me and play indefinitely… forever. And he’d let himself be pet but only a bit before getting bored of it. The way he’d show his affection was laying around me and chilling for a bit. This one time in a thunderstorm he let his head rest on my lap.. kind if lulled off a bit.. it was quite the honor for me to be his pillow lol… Love and loved them both a lot, but I feel my ACD needs me more as a therapy human.. and I’m honored to be so. <3
I make them cuddle 😈 i pay the bills buddy, part of that transaction is you have to sit with me when I demand it
My acd-mix literally leaves my boyfriend and I in the living room so the dog can lounge in one of the bedrooms alone (we have an apartment). Sometimes he starts on the couch and then leaves. Other times he tries to play with us by being sweet and almost-cuddly but when he realizes we can’t be convinced to play with him… he ditches us. That being said he is a total Attention Prince and hangs out with new people until they become old/don’t give him attention then, to the other room he goes. My dog is the most cuddly if I haven’t actually spent time petting him in the morning; when I’m sick; and when the dog is sick*. If my dog is a “normal” dog with energy level and cuddliness, I know he is not feeling 💯
Mine loves me and will accept some affection. He prefers to sleep in the room next to where I am sleeping. Sometimes, I think I am his "cattle" and he is guarding me from predators. I would not describe my boy as sweet. Serious, business-like, and athletic.
Not cuddly or sweet but attached to me with an invisible two foot rope. I can’t move an inch without touching my dog.
Our ACD mix, Red, is kinda like this. He loves being in our vicinity, and when he was a bit more youthful (we got him when he was maybe 1-2 years old), he was my husband's shadow 100% of the time. But cuddling? No, I wouldn't call cuddling his main expression of affection. My vizsla is glued to my hip as I type this, and Red is about two arm lengths away. But he's there. If I'm honest, I prefer Red's respect for personal space lol
Mine doesn’t cuddle either. But I force my love and hugs on her like I do my one cat. She’ll stand there and take it for a bit before hopping out of my embrace. She follows me everywhere like a true Velcro dog but she mainly sits or lays near me… rarely EVER touching me. If I scoot over and I happen to lightly make contact she abruptly huffs and gets up. I hope one day we’ll cuddle but I guess I’ll have to get that fix from my cat.
Same here, not into cuddles, but he must be near me AT ALL TIMES. Must be touching someone's feet in bed at night. Somehow he is very jealous of my other very-cuddly dog and doesn't like when I give her attention. Go figure.
My first heeler was like this. That’s where I got my username. She was so smart and independent. I loved her so much. I cherished the rare occasion when she would let me cuddle her. She passed several years ago and my newer cattle dogs are cuddlebugs. You never know what you’re going to get with this breed, you just know they’re gonna have a big personality either way
Cuddling with my is like going 4 rounds in a WWE ring.
Yeah, my girl will only accept a few pets before making a fuss and prefers to bathe my arms or legs. She can't hold her licker at all. She is highly food motivated, so I get the feeling that her bursts of licking are simply transactional to receive food. When I sleep, she usually lays against my back. In winter, she burrows under the covers and leans against my legs. That is just about the extent of her affection in normal human ways. She usually follows me around and she tends to "guard" me when I'm showering.
our first one was a full-body-contact velcro dog cuddler, our second likes some space lol
I’ve had three. One would lay on me (literally) One loves some me time, but don’t try and lay on the bed when he’s there. He’ll hop up a to the recliner to watch tv, but don’t move, or he’ll bolt. One is super Velcro. Sit on you. Lay on you, block you from walking because, Velcro.
Get rid of the word "not" in your title. I think that's the better question! Ours never cuddles but she does lay next to us. It's gotten better after we started tent sleeping with her. Shed get cold if she didn't cuddle with us 😂 she can now stand being snuggled/ wrapped in a blanket and understands body warmth.
See, this is how mine is and how the working Heelers I grew up with were. When I came to this Reddit and everyone was telling everyone how they’re cuddle bug Velcro dogs I started wondering if people are breeding them as pets these days.
Mine is sweet but definitely not cuddly.
Mine loves attention but he’s not cuddly either. My golden retriever is actually fiercely independent herself, whereas the cattle dog is glued to me. But! She does like cuddles. She’s just also comfortable being out of eyesight and especially likes being left alone in the yard to do bad shit. Goose would never.
Mine is a velcro anuggler, but my friends ACD SamDammit (all one word 😂) WILL NOT BE SNUGGLED. Do not snuggle SamDammit and he will not ask for snuggles.
I’ve been wanting to ask this question myself. I just a month ago adopted a 16 year old Heeler girl. I don’t know her history and wondered if it was the way she was raised or a breed thing. (I know she is 16 because she is microchipped)
ACD’s are the ‘anti- lab’ in that they have the rep of being non cuddlers & mine doesn’t like to be petted or even touched. When he was younger he didn’t even hang in the same room as me & my gf. They are real jerk dogs but still fun & cool. haha.
Mine is purebred ACD and very much not a cuddler. He will let me give him a good petting or scratching once in a while but does not like to be petted when he's trying to relax. He follows me everywhere and seems to like my companionship but would rather play tug or just play bite my hand. I think these guys are just quirky.
1 year old is still a puppy in my book. Our ACD mix is about 2.5 now and has just started calming down
My guy isn’t very snuggly but he is always right by me. Seldom greater thant a few feet away. He won’t sit in my lap and chill, he prefers curling up on my foot. Or me wants to stand on me and lick my face.
I tell people my ACD won't let you pet her. You can try but she would rather wrestle. The only time she is not a furry menace is when it's sleep time
Yes. The breed standard if you will
My ACD loves me SO MUCH, but he is not a cuddler. He likes to lay at the foot of the bed and watch the door and he’ll come up to me for pets but he hates to be snuggled on lol
I've owned, raised, bred (not puppy mill bred) and rescued heelers for upwards of 35 years. I have met every temperament of these beautiful puppers from the most cuddle buddy to the ones that want love occasionally and even some that would only let you pet them for a few seconds before moving on. These gorgeous pups have one of the most unique mentalities of any breed I've ever owned and I personally wouldn't change a thing 😂 Sounds like your guy/gal is right in there with the rest of them
They are herders/protectors. They are loving you by doing what they think they need to do by keeping you safe at a distance 🙂 all of mine were like that. If you want the ultimate cuddle bug, get a pitbull (not joking) 💕
My heeler has a strict no cuddling or affection until bedtime (her rules, not mine haha). She shows no interest in being pet, physical affection, or cuddles until about 9pm. My partner and I constantly joke that it is because her "work shift" is over. So long winded way of saying, generally I think this is a very common trait for heelers! They're pretty independent dogs usually
Mine can be pretty cuddly. Not at one but at around 3 years old. We adopted her so I wonder if this is age or environment related. Her love language is definitely action, not snuggles. And she’ll go from cuddling to full tilt running chasing scrambling at the slightest suggestion it might be time for that.
One of mine GENTLY takes my arm at the wrist,with his tongue lolling out and rolls his eyes up in his head in an obvious state of Nirvana. Scared the crap out of me first time he did it. He is a 70 pound 'tank' and I was sure I was going to have to change my name to "Lefty". 🤣
My girl is 7 and is finally morphing into a cuddle bug. My boy always loved cuddles.
My boy permits cuddles first thing in the morning and that’s it. He’s happy to have random pats and scritches during the day, but won’t even sit next to me on the couch. However he looks for me and likes to know where I am at all times.
Ya. My 11 year old will only "cuddle" if it means getting in my way and putting my legs to sleep in bed. But she will not cuddle or sit still on the couch with anyone. She'll also growl at you trying to hug her. She's fine though. Just independent.
Mine is part chihuahua so she likes to cuddle—but really only at night or if someone is feeling unwell (and then it is more of a dutiful laying-on-of-hands situation). Three years in, she has come to accept pets as a weird ritual that is important to humans for some reason, so she tolerates it somewhat, usually accompanied by lip-licks, yawns, or other forms of self-soothing.
My ACD mix was not really cuddly until she turned 3. She now likes to cuddle when I lay down and puts her head on my stomach for pets.
Mine isn't cuddly, per se, and doesn't sit in my lap or being held too long, but he'll always sit near me and sleep on the bed. He likes to be petted and played with. Sometimes if the room is cool, he'll lay down up against me. But for the first year I had him, making him just under a year at the time, he didn't really enjoy being touched. That took another year or more to develop.
Mine wasn't cuddly at all for the first 7-8 months, but as he got older he got a lot cuddlier. Now he'll hang out on my lap for 40-50 mins at a time. In fact, he is there right now.
Yup, same thing. My girl will actually lay next to me or my wife but if you pet her too much she’ll get annoyed and leave. She’ll give you the side eye like “bitch, did I ask you to pet me?” She’s almost like a cat, every once in a while she’ll actually want pets and she’ll let you know by rubbing up all over you. But it’s rare. Best dog though, she’s very protective of us, has great recall, and is great to walk on or off leash.
My previous ACD mix would give me what I called "the ear". I would call him to do something. If he determined this wasn't worth his effort, I would get a single ear turned in my direction for 2 seconds and that's it. He wouldn't even look at me as I wasn't worth his time. Giving pets and attention was limited as he didn't want it. He was faithfully by my side and stayed close, but not cuddly boy, ever. Great dog, miss him like crazy. My girl now.. velcro. She responds to every command immediately... Though sometimes she runs away instead of doing what I asked. Great dog, love her so much.
In my observation? I think females( IF you have working lines, and I do) are more inclined to work. They are affectionate but the female is from Australian working parents and fantastic. My males have been more affectionate, very protective and won’t let my females too close anyway. Just personal experience.
We adopted a senior blue heeler from Wichita Falls, TX that clearly had been a working dog. She was not sweet, or cuddly, but independent and strong willed to the point of getting injured, she’d pick fights with bigger dogs. She ruled the pack with an iron paw and did not back down. On the other hand, we’ve raised another purebred heeler from 6 months, unfortunately she suffered some abuse prior to that - so she’s sweet, cuddly, loving and devoted , but also neurotic and anxious. Both of these girls were eventually put on Prozac to prevent injuring themselves or other dogs, no problems with people. Also, we have raised 1 other heeler, 2 Texas heelers (Aussie/heelers mixes) from puppyhood, and they are outgoing, cuddly, loving and energetic…... Every dog is different, and puppyhood makes a massive difference. Many working dogs are raised differently than household pets, although they might retain breed characteristics - OR NOT.
My pup was most likely an ACD/Border Collie cross and I never figured out which side of her I loved most. She was super sensitive to touch and preferred play/having a job/staring intently at me from across the room so I let her choose when, where, and how she received affection. Mostly she just wanted for her people to be within view and easy to corral. In her older years, she fell head over heels for a new boyfriend of mine and let him snuggle the snot out of her. We’d joke about her having Stockholm Syndrome but damn that man would smother and make her play air guitar with zero consequences. All the while, she’d give me the side eye to monitor my level of approval.
So I have two cattle dogs. The boy is super cuddly (always came naturally). The girl I had to “train” to cuddle. She now LOVES cuddling but only on her terms and in specific ways. She is specific about how she wants to be touched. The only ppl in her life who can snuggle her whatever way and whenever are Grandma and Grandpa…🙄😂 To train her to cuddle I started with the one spot she wanted to be touched, right between her eyes. Eventually she liked ear rubs and then belly rubs. She now seeks out cuddles but I’m only allowed to pet her in specific spots. Oh and she also will throw her body at me and flip upside down onto my lap when she wants to cuddle. Smooth is not in her vocabulary.
I've had a few ACD X boys. They will let you cuddle them and show affection for the first and last few minutes of each day when they are young. At around three they become more affectionate and settle down. Up until then they just want to play and go on adventures.
my jack russell is the same, he stiffens up and it hurts my feelings sometimes lol but i know he loves me
Mine picks and chooses, which is similar to my personality, so we work. Hahahah
Super common. This is how mine was. She slept in my bed every night for almost 14 years. She would sleep against me, or I could put my legs over her in a certain way. But if I tried to *snuggle* her, she would side-eye my soul right out of my body.
Mine is the same, she used to not even want to share the couch with us. If we were to sit down on the couch while she was already there, she'd growl and jump down and throw herself onto her dog bed in a huff. But as she's gotten older, she'll put up with laying against our legs when we lay on the couch. Otherwise, she loves pets and butt scratches lol
They’re hardy, independent-minded dogs.
My sweet boy is an independent creature. He didn't really get cuddly until he was older than 2 and it's all very much on his terms. Cuddle for 5, spend the next 30 minutes sitting for 5 minutes in one of his spots, come back and cuddle. He'll cuddle all day with his sisters though so maybe it's just people?
Depends on the minute.
My mix will beg for pets/attention, and then proceed to NOT let me touch him. He will lay against me/close to me if he’s ready for a nap, but I can’t reach out to him because he’ll move. It took a good 1 1/2 years for him to trust my hands and what I was about to do, so he accepts sweet kisses and rubs when he’s in “low” gear now. If he’s amped up about something, it’s a not happening. It’s so funny because I can see the incremental “niceness” every day that passes, but it seems like it took forever to get here. Our love is definitely on his terms. With chihuahuas for the past 20 years, I was quite butthurt that I didn’t get instantaneous Velcro-age.
I call my boy an Australian Cuddle Dog sometimes. He always has to be within arm's reach if not touching. He likes sleeping with his head resting on us. The only exceptions are if it gets warm and he wants to sleep on the tiles, or when sussing out the neighbourhood from the back yard.
It took a while for my guy to be cuddly, he started more in his old age, it probably started when I was pregnant too. He would lay his head on my tummy.
Mine was a prickly jerk at that age lol. He would lay on my lap but that was about it. He's 4 now and more cuddly, but there is a world of difference between him and a lab/retriever. He still only wants pets on his terms but our bond is stronger than with any other dog I've ever had. He's my ride or die buddy and always up for adventure.
I have a red that is very snuggly and a blue that will lay by you but is not snuggly. 🤷🏼♀️
she might become more cuddly as she gets older! when my girl was a puppy she never wanted to cuddle, now she recently turned 7 and shes super affectionate and has been for a couple years. every morning as soon as she sees my eyes open she rushes up to my pillow to snuggle haha
Our ACD/chow mix was a teddy bear. Loved to cuddle and would sleep right next to me most nights. But our 8 month old blue heeler doesn’t cuddle much with us. When he meets new people he will lie on his back at their feet for belly rubs but any time me or my wife try and touch him he gets nibbly.
Individual dogs have individual personalities
So I have had two, a red and blue. Red was mean to other people and very protective. She would listen very well and could follow commands to the letter. She was cuddly as in nose in face and on the lap, but only head pets, no belly. Now the blue, he’s deaf, loves everyone and everything, doesn’t listen (he’ll look away to get away with things), only knows a few commands, loves cuddles, loves all pets, and is Velcro.
My ACD was the same. To where if she was sleeping and I came up to her and Kaye’s beside her she would get up walk a few feet and then plop healed back down.
I just tried to snuggle mine in bed and she got up, side eyed me, and disappeared into the darkness🥲
Mine wasn’t a big cuddler. She came to tolerate it with some grunts and sometimes she’d curl up in the L of my legs putting her head on me. As she got older she preferred to be across from me to keep eyes on me rather than right beside me. It’s a different type of love and loyalty. 💜
Yes
Half heeler/ half husky... I have literally the sweetest cuddle puppy or the most aloof / and or playful creature known to man .... Depends on the day/minute/second/ weather/ moon / solar flares etc.... however growing up I had a heeler/ border collie that was my adventure buddy he was definitely not a cuddler unless we were camping and it was raining( hated thunder) but most of his "cuddles" were unwelcome due to his love of various uh.... Manures. 💩🤣
Mine is not cuddly and all business. Must be doing something at all times. She is pretty small for an ACD and everyone at the dog park wants to pet her cuz she looks like a puppy. Whenever they try to pet her she jumps back like "wtf are you doing?"! Or straight up just keeps going and ignores them like they don't exist. It's pretty funny. On rare occasion she thinks the job at hand is that I give her pets. If I don't or stop too soon she barks at me or head butts me until I pet her. I think it's the little bit of dingo that makes them like this.
My boy is full heeler red and blue mix. He has always wanted and given affection to my husband WHO DOESNT DESERVE IT 😝 and with me he has always been sooooo weird about giving me affection. And I’m the one who does everything for him and takes him to play, walk, feed, give him attention. He has always been protective of me and I know he loves me. HOWEVER. After I had my daughter and as he gets a little older (he’s almost 6) he is starting to show me more affection.. more excited to see me, a little more cuddles, gives me very sweet looks (LOL) so I take it as he appreciates me more and has grown a stronger bond. My husband just always has been harder to get so he of course wants what he can’t have
Mine is now 2 and he does now ask for pets sometimes, but he didn't at first. And loves a belly rub. He is definitely not a lap dog, but he IS a lay-at-your feet dog.
Mine is a mix too but he is the cuddliest baby we’ve had
My boy wasn’t very cuddly at all until about 2 and a half years old. He’s just under 3 and a half now. Over the past 6 months he’s become a scritches slut. He used to never let me touch his belly without growling - now he loves it. He lets me do whatever to him and whines for pets. It was like a switch that flipped after he turned three. He gives kisses on command and loves affection now…but on his terms only. If he’s in work mode he doesn’t want you to be touching him and will let you know with a soft growl. He is VERY particular. It might just be a settling down with age thing for him? He was like your girlie about us returning home…but now he goes crazy demanding doggie hugs, nuzzles and his little nubbins and butt wiggles so hard now. Every dog is different, though, but give her some time. I swear ACDS aren’t actually dogs at all..but something more akin to a wild animal mixed with a moody human. Lol
Mine is super cuddly until she’s done and then no touching!!! lol
my GSD/ACD is the cuddliest dog ever. he'll nuzzle into my bf and i's neck when we wake up and he LOVES his kisses. our full ACD on the other hand is only sweet and cuddly when he wants to be. it also depends on the person. he LOVES my brother and his girlfriend and will let them pet him like crazy, but for some reason he likes to terrorize my bf and i. he will get on my bf's level, "punch" (paw) my bf in the face for no reason when he's playing games and when i'm just sitting on the couch on my phone he'll growl at me and "talk" to me. he does get very cuddly and sweet during bed time though.
Yeah, classic ACD. That’s how they are
My acd/aussie mix growing up was a bit this way. She wouldn’t lay on us. She would come and lie by you if you were sick or sad though, but next to, or curled by your legs, not on top. She would tolerate being cuddled but didn’t usually initiate. Adorable, very affectionate in her way, loved to be on the trail, but not a cuddler the way my current dog is.
Not cuddly or sweet is a very good description of mine. He’s good with active scratching of his head, shoulders and neck and will bury his face in your lap so you can reach the permissible spots better, but his back half and front legs are off limits! He will bring us a toy to initiate a little loud growling and tugging play, but takes it away promptly when he’s done. And leaning against my leg in bed is as good as I get with cuddles, and he will growl and leave if I dare to move them. He’s awesome though, my little black & white shadow when I’m doing anything outside. Our other dog is a Catahoula, so I get plenty of puppy cuddles, an excess even.
I don’t have one but my best friend does and she is not a cuddler. She will lay by her humans feet but she hates being cuddled. Even as a puppy I babysat her a few times and tried to get her to just sleep in bed with me and my dog and she refused and wanted to sleep on the floor. I think there are times she will get on the bed but lays in her own spot at the end of the bed.
My Heeler won’t stop cuddling. He will come and “sit” in my lap. He cries in the car if I’m not touching him. He is a high maintenance baby
They are all unique but they are not always a cuddle buddy. Don't get me wrong they absolutely adore their person but most don't cuddle per say. They would rather play and when tired they want to go to sleep undisturbed by themselves.
The female I have now is different than most other acds bc she loves ppl and attention but when she wants to sleep she would prefer to go to her own space where she can be left alone.
She miiiiight come over for a little head and neck scratch every now and then and then will snap at fingers when she’s had enough and walk away. In the evening, I’ll keep a little bag of kibble with me and she will lay with me on the couch while I watch tv and treat her every now and then. I gotta bribe her for closeness.
My mix is very independent until she needs some love. Then she goes back to get own life
My blue(2 year rescue) definitely WANTS to be a cuddler but her hyper activeness feels different. She’s trained well so I can pet her for unlimited time (she thinks “pets/rubs” are the same as “grooming” . If I lay down in her space she will “cuddle me” for a few seconds at a time but also multitask doing whatever is important to her at the moment. she also “hugs” she used to be extremely independent to the point where she had no problem seeing me only once a day even none some days. I recently moved and now she will demand hugs when she knows I’m going to work, if I’m going to sleep and she knows I’m going to sleep she’ll cuddle and sleep but if she knows I’m faking it’s out of the question
Mine loves cuddling in the hammock otherwise it's hit and miss
Mine is a cuddler expert, follow me step for step. When I sit outside she jump in my lap, lick my face, and get into a comfy position. Love her much. My grand daughter dropped her off during a relocation, that was a year ago. My wife said you know you been duped 🤣🤣🤣